As I was listening to the radio on the way to work this morning, the DJ and his guests were talking about how developed western countries should learn from Japan how to better take care of the increasing aging population with robots.

Indeed, smart machines demonstrate functional errors more often than we’d like to see — poor Amazon Alexa users, they have must be terrified when the virtual assistant suddenly burst into laughter in the middle of the night.

However, robots (not really the humanoid kind though) also assist in various situations such as precision manufacturing, minimally invasive surgeries, disaster rescues and even bomb disposal.

In the case that they go rogue, a machine can freak you out to death; If it stays on track, it may save you from death. So then, what’s the big deal about a laptop that can buy and sell some stocks by itself?

Just like Michael Lewis said in ‘Flash Boys’ — a book about Wall Street high-frequency trading:

“People no longer are responsible for what happens in the market, because computers make all the decisions.”

Fine, he might be exaggerating a bit.

It’s the flash boys, with their know-how in math, finance and coding, who make the actual final calls to trade.

Coming up with an investment strategy is the first step, followed by designing an algorithm to do analysis across multiple markets and execute orders. When certain trigger conditions are met, the program will carry out the transactions in seconds WITH THE PROPER TOOLS.

So, enough work for traders for now, it’s the trading platforms’ turn to do something.

We all know that software developed by different programmers based on different coding languages don’t integrate just like that, magically with a finger snap.

That said, no matter how clever the flash boys’ trading strategy is, it won’t work unless there is a proper tool to hinge their trading program and the platform’s trading engine.

This is where Application Programming Interface (API) should step in, making it possible for different software to interact smoothly and efficiently.

It has been utilized in the traditional financial world for years, and it is now also quite extensively applied in the crypto world.

I bet you don’t want to know how much profit the early birds made by taking the first move advantage and applying high-frequency trading tactics via this particular tool. There is a story, by which I am strongly convinced, that a Chinese trader saw his/her RMB200 principal balloon to 80 Bitcoins between 2014 and 2017.

Obviously the first mover advantage is long gone. Retail investors may ask why we should pay attention as it’s a little late to catch up. Well, I mean, isn’t being late truly just a concept of relativity?

Let me ask you one simple question: do you believe that the crypto world will grow, in terms of both quantity and quality?

If the answer is yes, you should be aware that: a) there will be millions of new retail investors flooding in; b) the market will be re-shaped in a better way as more professional, individual, and institutional investors walk in.

Therefore, I have two follow-up questions for you, quite straightforward ones at that:

a) Would you like to seize the chance — regardless of how slim it would be — to move faster than the newbies? (We have to admit, in many cases, it’s more of a zero-sum game, played fairly and openly of course.)

b) Wouldn’t you like to catch up with the bigger players (like professional asset managers in the traditional financial world), if you were to decide to run your own portfolio rather than employ their expertise?

Plus, there is one very strong reason for me if I am asked whether I’d like to put in some effort and learn to use the API for trading.

That is, it’s the nature (or flaw) of human beings to be sentimental, or psychologically manipulated by mysterious and invisible hands such as mass behavior.

And guess what, programs don’t have such an issue — at least not yet. They will execute your trading orders precisely and won’t be punished by fear or greed, which usually cause the missing-out of the perfect timing for damage control and stop profit.

Your strategy, assuming it to be smart, will be implemented the way it should be — cold-bloodedly.

Okay, enough about trading via API 101. Please come to KuCoin and try the V2.0 trading platform, which improves various functions, including API obviously.

So, this turned out to be a publicity article. Surprise!!!