About Norn
Your AI-powered trading companion
You're at the bleeding edge!
Welcome to the alpha phase of Norn. Here's what that means for you:
- Active Development: Features are still being built and refined
- Data May Reset: Your user data might be wiped as we iterate
- Expect Bugs: We're hunting them down, but some will slip through
- Occasional Downtime: We may need to take the system offline for updates
What's Next?
Beta: Significantly improved stability and fewer breaking changes
Release: Rock-solid uptime, no data loss, and a polished experience
Thank you for being an early adopter and helping us shape the future of Norn!
Norn employs 5 distinct trading strategies, each designed for different market conditions and risk profiles.
Stock Strategy - Long-Term Growth
Philosophy: Balanced long-term stock trading using technical analysis and AI-generated watchlists.
Entry Criteria
- Confidence: ≥62.5% (moderate balance)
- Signals: 2+ confirming indicators
- Watchlist: 30 curated stocks (TSLA, NVDA, AMD, AAPL, etc.)
- Technical: RSI, MACD, volume analysis
Exit Criteria
- Profit Target: +15%
- Progressive Stop: -7% → 0% at +2% → +2% at +4%
- ATR Trailing: 0.3%/0.5%/0.8% (volatility-adjusted)
- Time Exit: 20h + <1.5% profit
- Minimum hold: 2 hours
PDT Protection: Limits new positions when day trades are exhausted (3 per 5 days). Dynamic position sizing based on remaining day trades.
StockIntraday - Fast-Paced Day Trading
Philosophy: Quick intraday trades targeting small profits with tight risk management.
Entry Criteria
- Confidence: ≥20% (lighter check)
- Timing: End-of-day window (3:54-3:59 PM)
- Blocks high bearish signals
- Fast execution required
Exit Criteria
- Profit Target: +8%
- Hard Stop Loss: -4%
- ATR Trailing: 0.3%/0.5%/0.8% (volatility-adjusted)
- PDT Protection: No same-day sells (rolls to next day)
PDT Protection: Prevents same-day sells - positions bought today will not be sold until tomorrow, avoiding pattern day trader violations.
Crypto - 24/7 Cryptocurrency Trading
Philosophy: Regime-based adaptive trading that adjusts to market conditions (Bull/Bear/Consolidation).
⚠️ AGGRESSIVE MODE: Relaxed thresholds optimized for Alpaca IEX single-exchange data (100x lower liquidity requirements)
Entry Criteria
- Regime Detection (BTC/ETH trends)
- All Modes: 1 signal minimum (aggressive)
- Bull: 8 max, 0.1x-0.3x volume gates
- Bear: 3 max, 0.5x-1.2x volume gates
- Consolidation: 5 max, 0.1x-0.3x gates
- Liquidity: $100-$1K daily (IEX adjusted)
- 24h buy cooldown per symbol
Exit Criteria
- Stop Loss: -8%
- Adaptive Trailing: 0.1%/0.5%/1% (same as Stock)
- Big moves (3%+) bypass 30min cooldown
- 24/7 monitoring
Penny - High-Risk Dip Buying
Philosophy: Wait for significant dips in promising penny stocks, then ride out volatility for larger gains.
Entry Criteria
- Price: $0.50 - $5.00 only
- Dip Detection: 3%+ below 5-day high (relaxed for paper)
- Confidence: ≥50% with 1+ signal (relaxed for paper)
- Position Size: 12% max (smaller for risk)
Exit Criteria
- Hard Stop: -8% (protect capital)
- ATR Trailing: 0.5%/0.8%/1.2% (wider for volatility)
- No Profit Cap (let winners run!)
- Big moves (3%+) bypass cooldown
PDT Protection: Blocks new trades when day trade limit reached (3 per 5 days) to prevent violations.
InvestoBot - Patient Wealth Building
Philosophy: Long-term buy-and-hold with quality entries, minimal exits, and quarterly rebalancing.
Entry Criteria
- Confidence: ≥60% (quality focus, relaxed for paper)
- Signals: 2+ bullish confirmations (relaxed for paper)
- Rebalancing: Every 30 days (monthly for faster testing)
- Position Size: 20% max (concentrated)
Exit Criteria
- Minimum Hold: 30 days (absolute)
- NO PROFIT CAP (let winners run!)
- Adaptive Trailing: 2%/3%/5% (smart exits)
- Stop Loss: -8% (catch crashes early)
Portfolio Allocation Recommendation
Balanced Approach:
- Stock (30-40%): Core holdings, balanced trading
- InvestoBot (30-40%): Long-term compounding
- Crypto (15-20%): 24/7 diversification
- StockIntraday (5-10%): Active trading component
- Penny (5-10%): High-risk speculation only
What are you passionate about?
For me, the answer is simple: making money without having to actively manage it.
That's where Norn comes in. Norn is an automated trading system designed to remove emotion from investing and let data drive the decisions.
The Strategy
- Emotion-Free Trading: No panic selling, no FOMO buying—just consistent, logical decisions
- AI-Powered Analysis: Leverage artificial intelligence to analyze market data and identify promising stocks
- Smart Algorithms: Use intelligent rules to determine optimal entry and exit points
- Consistent Execution: Trade automatically with zero user input required
- Community-Driven: We all win or lose together, sharing the journey
Our target is 0.5% return per trading day. Here's what that looks like over time:
| Starting Amount | 1 Month (21 days) | 3 Months (63 days) | 1 Year (252 days) | 5 Years (1,260 days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $11.11 (+11.1%) | $13.67 (+36.7%) | $35.05 (+250.5%) | $5,427.54 (+54,175%) |
| $100 | $111.05 (+11.1%) | $136.72 (+36.7%) | $350.52 (+250.5%) | $54,275.41 (+54,175%) |
| $1,000 | $1,110.50 (+11.1%) | $1,367.15 (+36.7%) | $3,505.16 (+250.5%) | $542,754.09 (+54,175%) |
| $10,000 | $11,105.02 (+11.1%) | $13,671.51 (+36.7%) | $35,051.60 (+250.5%) | $5,427,540.85 (+54,175%) |
Is This Realistic?
The honest answer: There are no guarantees. The stock market is unpredictable and past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
That said, I'm currently averaging 0.99% daily returns, which gives me confidence that 0.5% is a reasonable target. We're intentionally setting a conservative goal to account for market volatility.
Risk Management
When we experience down periods or unfavorable market conditions, we can always pause trading and re-evaluate. The goal is sustainable growth, not reckless risk-taking.
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for UK Residents
When you're actively trading stocks like Norn does, you'll likely be subject to Capital Gains Tax on your profits. Here's what you need to know:
Key Rules:
- Annual Allowance: You get a tax-free Capital Gains allowance each year (£3,000 for 2024/25 tax year)
- Tax Rates:
- Basic rate taxpayers: 10% on gains above the allowance
- Higher/additional rate taxpayers: 20% on gains above the allowance
- Same Day Rule: Shares sold and bought on the same day are matched together
- 30 Day Rule: Shares bought within 30 days of selling are matched (prevents "bed and breakfasting")
- Record Keeping: You must keep detailed records of all transactions for at least 6 years
- Reporting: Report your gains in your Self Assessment tax return, even if they're below the allowance
Important for Frequent Trading
Because Norn trades frequently, you'll likely exceed the annual allowance if successful. Make sure to set aside money for your tax bill throughout the year, not just at the end!
Useful Resources:
- GOV.UK - Capital Gains Tax Overview
- GOV.UK - Tax When You Sell Shares
- GOV.UK - Report and Pay CGT
- HMRC - Detailed CGT Guidance
Pro Tip: Consider consulting with an accountant who specializes in trading and investments. They can help you optimize your tax position and ensure compliance.
Alpaca.Markets is the trading platform that powers Norn's buy and sell orders.
Getting Started: Two Options
Perfect for:
- Testing Norn without risk
- Learning how the system works
- Validating the strategy
Setup:
- Quick sign-up process
- No ID verification needed
- No real money required
- Instant access
Start here to get comfortable!
Perfect for:
- Actually making money
- After you're confident in Norn
Setup Requirements:
- ID verification required
- Fund in USD (US Dollars)
- May take a few days to approve
Only use money you can afford to risk!
Funding Your Alpaca Account (UK Users)
Alpaca requires funding in US Dollars (USD). Here are your options:
- Traditional Bank Transfer: Most UK banks will charge high fees and poor exchange rates
- Wise (formerly TransferWise): Competitive rates and transparent fees
- Revolut: Excellent exchange rates, especially with premium accounts. This is what I personally use and recommend!
- Other Options: CurrencyFair, OFX, or similar services
My Recommendation
I use Revolut to send money to Alpaca. The exchange rates are great, the transfers are fast, and the app makes it super easy to manage multiple currencies.
You can hold USD in your Revolut account and transfer when rates are favorable!
Setting Up in Norn
Once you have your Alpaca account, you'll need to add your API credentials to your Norn profile:
- Log into your Alpaca account
- Generate API keys (one for paper, one for live if using both)
- Copy the API Key and Secret Key
- Add them to your Norn profile
- Enable paper or live trading
- You're ready to go! 🚀