Documentation | QuantForge

Quick Start

Get QuantForge running in under 5 minutes. The platform ships as a single Docker image that bundles the bot engine, REST API, AI service, and React dashboard. All you need is Docker installed on your machine and a Binance account.

Once launched, the dashboard is available at localhost:3000 and the API at localhost:8000. Paper trading mode is enabled by default so you can experiment safely with simulated fills against real market prices before committing capital.

Installation

QuantForge uses Docker Compose to orchestrate its services. Create a project directory, drop in the compose file below, and bring it up. The image pulls everything it needs automatically -- no extra dependencies required.

After running the commands below, open your browser to http://localhost:3000 to access the dashboard. The API documentation is available at http://localhost:8000/docs.

docker-compose.yml

version: "3.9"

services:
  quantforge:
    image: quantforge/platform:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
      - ./.env:/app/.env
    restart: unless-stopped

Terminal

mkdir quantforge && cd quantforge
# Create your .env file (see Configuration)
docker compose up -d

# Verify everything is running
docker compose logs -f

Configuration

All configuration lives in a single .env file at the project root. Copy the template below and fill in your credentials. At minimum you need your exchange API keys and a bearer token for securing the local API.

Paper mode is enabled by default. Keep it on until you have validated your strategies through backtesting and are comfortable with the platform. The AI features work out of the box with your subscription -- no separate API key needed.

.env

# Exchange
EXCHANGE_NAME=binance
BINANCE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
BINANCE_API_SECRET=your_api_secret_here

# Security
API_BEARER_TOKEN=choose_a_strong_token

# Mode
PAPER_MODE=true

# Notifications (optional)
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token
TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=your_chat_id

# Logging
LOG_LEVEL=INFO

Exchange API Keys

QuantForge connects to Binance through their official API. For security, we strongly recommend creating a dedicated API key with trade-only permissions and no withdrawal access.

Follow these steps to create your API key:

1. Log in to your Binance account and navigate to API Management under your profile settings.

2. Click "Create API" and choose "System generated" as the key type. Give it a descriptive label like "QuantForge Trading".

3. Complete the security verification (email + authenticator code).

4. On the API restrictions page, enable only "Enable Spot & Margin Trading" and "Enable Futures". Leave "Enable Withdrawals" unchecked.

5. Under IP access restrictions, select "Restrict access to trusted IPs only" and add your server IP address for maximum security.

6. Copy the API Key and Secret Key immediately. The secret is only shown once.

7. Paste both values into your .env file as BINANCE_API_KEY and BINANCE_API_SECRET.

AI Setup

QuantForge includes a built-in AI engine powered by Claude for market analysis, signal enrichment, sentiment scoring, and natural language chat. The AI integration is included with your subscription -- there is no separate API key to configure.

The AI layer operates in an advisory role. It adjusts signal confidence based on news sentiment and market regime analysis, but it never overrides your risk parameters or takes autonomous action. If the AI service is temporarily unavailable, your strategies continue to operate using their raw signals.

For local anomaly detection, QuantForge uses an embedded model that runs entirely on your hardware. This handles high-frequency tasks like tick anomaly flagging without any external API calls, keeping latency minimal and your data private.

Deploy Your First Bot

The fastest way to get started is through the AI chat interface on the dashboard. Open the chat panel and tell QuantForge what you want to trade. It will create and configure a paper trading bot for you.

The bot starts in paper mode by default, using real market prices with simulated order fills. You can monitor its performance, signals, and trades in real time from the Bot Manager page. Once you are satisfied with the results, switching to live trading is a single configuration change.

Chat Example

You: Create a mean reversion bot for SOL/USDT
     on 15-minute candles with $1,000 capital.

QuantForge: Done! I've created a paper trading bot:
  - Strategy: mean_reversion_bb
  - Symbol: SOL/USDT
  - Timeframe: 15m
  - Capital: $1,000
  - Params: bb_period=30, bb_std=2.5
  The bot is now running. You can monitor it
  on the Bot Manager page.

You: Show me its current status.

QuantForge: Bot #1 (SOL/USDT mean_reversion_bb)
  - Status: Running
  - Position: Flat (no open position)
  - Signals today: 2 generated, 1 passed risk
  - Paper PnL: +$12.40 (+1.24%)