Polymarket Trading Bot (Rust)

Rust trading automation for Polymarket short-horizon crypto and related markets. The workspace ships multiple binaries: dual-limit starters, a trailing stop strategy, backtests, and small utilities to validate balance, allowance, orders, merge, and redemption against the CLOB.

Overview

The bot loads a JSON config and optional .env secrets, authenticates to Polymarket’s CLOB (including proxy wallet modes), and runs strategies with simulation, live, or backtest / history-replay options. A native CLOB SDK is loaded at runtime; Linux deployments should use SDK builds matched to the host glibc (or Docker).

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https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9e20bab4-431e-4f8d-8a69-147a34b7ea3b

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Key features

• Multiple strategies: Default dual-limit entry binaries, 5-minute BTC variant, and trailing-stop style execution.
• Simulation and backtest: Paper mode and backtest / history file replay for strategy validation.
• Asset flags: Configurable enablement of BTC, ETH, Solana, and XRP market families where implemented.
• Utilities: test_* binaries for cash balance, allowance, limits, sell, merge, redeem, and multi-order checks.
• Container-friendly: Dockerfile for environments where glibc and bundled SDK layout must match.

Architecture

Technology stack

• Runtime: Rust (see rust-toolchain.toml / Cargo.toml for MSRV relative to alloy and dependencies; rustc 1.91+ is expected for this tree)
• Async: Tokio
• Chain: Polygon (and compatible EVM usage via configuration)
• HTTP / WS: reqwest, tokio-tungstenite where used
• CLOB access: Native SDK loaded via libloading (see Technical details)
• Config: config.json (non-secrets) plus .env for keys (see Installation)

System flow

Load config + .env → L1/L2 CLOB auth → Market polling / strategy
→ Order placement (or simulation) → Logs + optional history / backtest

Installation

Prerequisites

• Rust and Cargo via rustup; this repo targets stable and requires a recent enough rustc (e.g. 1.91+ for current dependencies).
• Polymarket CLOB SDK shared library on the library path: versioned lib/libclob_sdk-ubuntu-22.04.so and lib/libclob_sdk-ubuntu-24.04.so on Linux, or libclob_sdk.dylib / clob_sdk.dll on macOS / Windows, or set LIBCOB_SDK_SO to an explicit path.
• A funded wallet and USDC for live trading, with keys supplied only through environment (never commit them).

Setup

1. Clone the repository and enter the directory

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd Polymarket-Trading-Bot-Rust
   

2. Build

   cargo build --release
   

3. Configure config.json

   cp config.example.json config.json
   

   Edit config.json for trading intervals, enabled assets, dual-limit parameters, and base API URLs. Prefer not pasting private_key in the file; use .env instead.

4. Configure .env

   # RUST_LOG=info
   POLYMARKET_PRIVATE_KEY=0xYOUR_KEY
   POLYMARKET_SIGNATURE_TYPE=2
   POLYMARKET_PROXY_WALLET_ADDRESS=0xYOUR_PROXY_OR_SAFE
   POLYMARKET_API_KEY_NONCE=0
   # Optional: LIBCOB_SDK_SO=/absolute/path/to/libclob_sdk.so
   

5. Docker (optional, Linux / glibc alignment)

   docker build -t polymarket-trading-bot .
   docker run --rm -it --env-file .env \
     -v "$(pwd)/config.json:/app/config.json:ro" \
     polymarket-trading-bot
   

Configuration

config.json (summary)

| Section | Role | |---------|------| | polymarket | gamma_api_url, clob_api_url, optional inline secrets (prefer env) | | trading | Polling, dual-limit price/shares, hedge timing, trailing options, and enable_*_trading flags |

See config.example.json for the full shape.

Environment variables (common)

| Variable | Description | |----------|-------------| | POLYMARKET_PRIVATE_KEY | Hex private key (with or without 0x) for live auth and orders | | POLYMARKET_SIGNATURE_TYPE | 0 EOA, 1 proxy, 2 browser / Safe style proxy (typical for MetaMask + Polymarket proxy) | | POLYMARKET_PROXY_WALLET_ADDRESS | Funder / proxy when using types 1 or 2 | | POLYMARKET_API_KEY / SECRET / PASSPHRASE | Optional cached L2 API credentials; otherwise derived via L1 auth | | POLYMARKET_API_KEY_NONCE | Optional nonce for stable derived API keys | | LIBCOB_SDK_SO | Override path to the CLOB SDK shared library | | RUST_LOG | Log level: error, warn, info, debug, trace |

CLI (see src/config.rs Args)

| Flag | Role | |------|------| | --config | Path to JSON config (default config.json) | | --simulation / -s | Simulation (no real trades) where applicable | | --no-simulation | Force live mode | | --backtest | Backtest mode | | --history-file | Replay a history/*.toml file |

Usage

Default binary (default-run in Cargo.toml)

cargo run --release -- --config config.json

Dual-limit (example)

cargo run --release --bin main_dual_limit_045_same_size -- --config config.json --no-simulation

cargo run --release --bin main_dual_limit_045_5m_btc -- --config config.json

Trailing and backtest

cargo run --release --bin main_trailing -- --config config.json
cargo run --release --bin backtest -- --config config.json

Helper binaries

cargo run --release --bin test_allowance -- --config config.json
cargo run --release --bin test_limit_order -- --config config.json
cargo run --release --bin test_merge -- --config config.json
cargo run --release --bin test_redeem -- --config config.json
cargo run --release --bin test_sell -- --config config.json
cargo run --release --bin test_predict_fun -- --config config.json

See Cargo.toml [[bin]] for registered binary names.

Technical details

CLOB SDK

• The bot loads a native Polymarket CLOB client; GLIBC mismatches (e.g. .so built on Ubuntu 24.04 on an Ubuntu 22.04 host) are not fixed by changing the Rust toolchain. Use versioned lib/ artifacts, LIBCOB_SDK_SO, Docker, or an SDK built on the same glibc as production.
• Authentication follows Polymarket CLOB L1 → L2 credential derivation; see official CLOB documentation.

Strategy notes (high level)

• Dual-limit flows: Post paired limits, then hedge the unfilled side after configured minutes and price conditions.
• Trailing: Uses trailing stop and position sizing from trading in config.json.
• Modes and exact thresholds vary by binary; read the corresponding src/bin/*.rs for entry points.

Project structure

Polymarket-Trading-Bot-Rust/
├── public/
│   ├── trading-rust.png       # README / demo still (add asset)
│   └── trading-rust.mp4       # optional local demo
├── lib/                       # CLOB SDK .so / .dylib / .dll (not always in repo)
├── history/                   # local price history / replay (gitignored)
├── src/
│   ├── lib.rs
│   ├── config.rs
│   ├── clob_sdk.rs
│   ├── api.rs
│   ├── trader.rs
│   ├── monitor.rs
│   ├── detector.rs
│   ├── merge.rs
│   ├── rtds.rs
│   ├── backtest.rs
│   ├── simulation.rs
│   ├── term_ui.rs
│   ├── models.rs
│   └── bin/
│       ├── main_dual_limit_045_same_size.rs
│       ├── main_dual_limit_045_5m_btc.rs
│       ├── main_trailing.rs
│       ├── backtest.rs
│       └── test_*.rs
├── config.example.json
├── rust-toolchain.toml
├── Cargo.toml
├── Dockerfile
└── README.md

API integration

• Gamma and CLOB HTTP endpoints are configured in config.json under polymarket.*.
• Orders and market data go through the loaded CLOB SDK and supporting Rust modules in src/.

Monitoring and logging

• Use RUST_LOG for env_logger output levels.
• Review stderr / stdout and any container logs for auth and SDK load errors before debugging strategy logic.

Change history

Maintenance notes worth tracking in this repo:

1. Rust / alloy MSRV: Dependency upgrades can raise the minimum rustc beyond upstream SDK baselines.
2. Native SDK path: LIBCOB_SDK_SO and lib/ layout are deployment-specific; document the host OS when sharing issues.

Risk considerations

1. Market and liquidity: Volatility and thin books can cause partial fills and slippage.
2. Execution: Resting and aggressive orders may not fill as modeled in backtest.
3. Fees and gas: Affect net PnL.
4. API limits: Throttling or outages can block trading or redemption.
5. Native library: A wrong or missing SDK prevents startup entirely.

Operational suggestions: Prove simulation and backtest first, use Docker when glibc is uncertain, and keep API keys and config.json out of version control if they hold secrets.

Development

cargo check
cargo build --release

Support

Use repository issues for bugs and feature requests. For CLOB and Gamma behavior, use Polymarket’s official documentation.

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Disclaimer: This software is provided as-is, without warranty. Prediction markets and digital assets involve substantial risk of loss. Use only capital you can afford to lose and comply with applicable laws in your jurisdiction.

Version: 0.1.0
Last updated: April 2026