# Solo Crypto Quant Starter Kit **150+ pages of research + playbooks to build a Solana-native signal engine + autonomous trading bot solo, on a $0/mo infrastructure budget.** > 4 months of solo work compressed into 12 engineering + strategy + risk + compliance + infra playbooks. **Free + MIT. Fork it, ship your own, no strings.** --- ## 📚 Read it for free All 12 playbooks are public in `bundle/`: | # | Doc | Topic | |---|-----|-------| | 00 | [MASTER](bundle/00-MASTER.md) | 90-day plan: $0 → autonomous $1000 SOL bot → first paying customer | | 01 | [Trading](bundle/01-trading.md) | Universe, top-K signal filtering, eighth-Kelly sizing, ATR stops | | 02 | [Risk](bundle/02-risk.md) | 5 circuit breakers, 30-day paper gate, kill switches, incident runbooks | | 03 | [Security](bundle/03-security.md) | 3-tier wallet ($100/$300/$600), KMS envelope, isolated signer | | 04 | [Architecture](bundle/04-architecture.md) | 18 new Python modules, 7-day MVP calendar, SQL schemas | | 05 | [Revenue](bundle/05-revenue.md) | Top 3 streams Week 1, SR&ED hidden goldmine, subscription gate | | 06 | [Compliance (Canada)](bundle/06-compliance.md) | NI 31-103 exemption, CCPC timing, MSB triggers, PIPEDA | | 07 | [Infra](bundle/07-infra.md) | Oracle Cloud Always Free deploy, 99% SLO, 8 P0 runbooks | | 08 | [Downloads bot audit](bundle/08-salvage.md) | Salvage from 3 prior attempts, 3 anti-patterns to avoid | | 09 | [Tooling audit](bundle/09-tooling-audit.md) | ~1000 tools, 30 P0 picks, $0/mo vs typical $105/mo stack | | 10 | [Credentials queue](bundle/10-credentials.md) | 13 free-tier accounts, priority order | | 11 | [API signup queue](bundle/11-signup-queue.md) | Captcha-blocked flagged, which to skip | --- ## 🏃 Run it yourself This repo is documentation-first. No code to run, just 12 playbooks plus one landing page. If you want to rebuild the landing page locally: ### Prerequisites - Any modern browser (the landing page is a single static `index.html`) - Optional: [GitHub Pages](https://pages.github.com/) or any static host to publish your fork ### Fork + publish ```bash git clone https://github.com/cryptomotifs/cipher-starter cd cipher-starter # edit bundle/*.md to reflect your own research # edit index.html to point at your own donation wallet + handles # commit + push to your fork ``` Then enable GitHub Pages in your fork's Settings → Pages → Source: `main / (root)` and your landing lives at `https://.github.io/cipher-starter/`. ### Reuse the bundle in your own project The `bundle/` markdown is MIT-licensed. Copy any playbook into your own docs, rename it, adjust the jurisdiction / stack sections, and ship it. Attribution appreciated but not required. --- ## 🎯 Who it's for - Indie devs building Solana signal engines or trading bots solo - You know how to code (Python / TypeScript) and can read production-quality scaffolding - You've tried building bots before; flash-loan / MEV latency killed you; you want to know what to prioritize instead - You don't have team, budget, or runway beyond what you can self-fund ## 🙅 Who it's NOT for - Beginners looking for "learn to code" content. This assumes production-dev skill. - Anyone expecting "guaranteed returns" or a managed signal subscription - People who don't want to touch compliance or security architecture --- ## 🧵 Key findings from the research 1. **Wallet A + B from prior bots were compromised** (plaintext keys in `.env` + mnemonic as comments). 3-tier wallet split recommended: $100 hot / $300 warm / $600 cold with KMS + isolated signer subprocess. 2. **MEV sandwich tax = ~40% annualised drag** if unmitigated. Required defenses: Jito bundles (tip-based, not pub-mempool) + limit orders + illiquidity blocklist + oracle gate rejecting trades >0.5% off Pyth spot. 3. **No perps at $1k scale.** Liquidation cascade risk dwarfs the upside of using margin at that account size. Solana spot only via Jupiter. 4. **Canadian NI 31-103 exemption path**: position Phase 2 product as "quantitative market data + research content," never recommend / personalize / custody. Sole proprietor until $60-80k/yr, then CCPC in home province. 5. **SR&ED R&D tax credit is the hidden goldmine** for Canadian solo devs: 35-43% refundable on imputed founder-salary rate of R&D spend. Likely outvalues 12-24 months of $1k trading P&L. Start the logbook day 1. 6. **Oracle Cloud Always Free** (4 ARM cores, 24 GB RAM, forever) is the right host at this scale. Systemd native, not Docker. $0/mo at zero P&L. 7. **30-day paper-trade gate before live capital**: Sharpe ≥ 0.8, max DD < 12%. If not green, extend paper; don't force-go-live. 8. **Salvageable from prior Rust/Node bots**: `sol-volume-bot-v3/index.js` lines 188-236 (bundle landing), `solana-arb-bot/predator-execution/{jito,simulator,alt,ata}.rs`. Skip all memecoin strategy crates. 9. **23 free-tier API workflows pre-captured**: Sentry + PostHog + Resend + Neon + Upstash + Cloudflare + Helius + Alchemy + Finnhub + FRED + Tiingo + Polygon + Etherscan V2 + Bitquery + Solscan + CoinGecko + Alpha Vantage + more. Ordered by priority, captcha-blocked ones flagged. 10. **Subscription launch gate**: 30 days live P&L + Sharpe ≥0.5 + 50 email subs OR 200 Twitter followers. Earliest plausible Day 61, target Day 90. --- ## 📈 Status + roadmap - **v1** (shipped 2026-04): 12 playbooks published - **v2** (planned 2026-05): Add 30-day live paper-trade data, backtest validation suite, performance attribution per strategy - **v3** (planned 2026-07): Full `cipher/trading/` Layer K reference implementation (Python, MIT-licensed) --- ## ❓ FAQ **Q: This is a lot of research for free. What's the catch?** A: None. The research is public. It's the engineering, risk discipline, and ongoing iteration that's the hard part. If the research saves you a month, a tip in SOL is appreciated but never required. **Q: Is this actually useful for non-Solana quants?** A: ~70% jurisdiction/stack-neutral. Infra, risk, security, architecture apply broadly. Trading + compliance sections are Solana / Canada specific. **Q: Can I fork it?** A: Yes, MIT. Attribution appreciated. **Q: Investment advice?** A: No. Not a recommendation on any trade, token, or security. Engineering + strategy + infrastructure guidance only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All risk is yours. --- ## Read more Writeups that expand on the bundle: - **[10 non-obvious findings from the playbook build](https://dev.to/sai_93caeceb4f6a4d9969910/i-built-a-solana-signal-engine-solo-heres-the-150-page-playbook-246k)** (dev.to). Covers wallet compromise postmortem, MEV sandwich tax math, 3-tier wallet architecture, Canadian NI 31-103 exemption, SR&ED credit, 30-day paper gate. - **[I shipped an x402 AI-crawler paywall in 3 hours on Vercel's free tier](https://dev.to/sai_93caeceb4f6a4d9969910/i-shipped-an-x402-ai-crawler-paywall-in-3-hours-on-vercels-free-tier-272m)** (dev.to). Covers the Next.js 16 + `@x402/next` stack, the three deploy gotchas, full proxy code. - Also on Hashnode: [solana-developer.hashnode.dev](https://solana-developer.hashnode.dev/) --- ## 🛒 Buy Want the playbook as a PDF, or more structured sidecars? All direct-pay, no platform middleman: - **[cipher-checkout.vercel.app](https://cipher-checkout.vercel.app/)**. Three products, pay by card (Stripe) or crypto (Base USDC, Solana USDC, BTC): - **[Solana Solo-Dev Playbook (PDF)](https://buy.stripe.com/9B6aEX94xh1NgiXaRy2Ry0a), $9.** 150-page playbook, same content as this repo but as one offline-ready PDF. Trading, risk, security, architecture, revenue, compliance, infra, solo mode, 2026. - **[x402 Paid Endpoint Starter Kit](https://buy.stripe.com/9B6cN55SlfXJ4Af9Nu2Ry09), $19.** Next.js 16 starter repo + 7-page tutorial PDF + one-command Vercel deploy. Working x402 endpoint. - **[Solana Bot Toolkit Walkthrough](https://buy.stripe.com/aFa14n2G9bHt3wb4ta2Ry0b), $29.** Deep walkthrough of the MIT-licensed [cipher-solana-bot-toolkit](https://github.com/cryptomotifs/cipher-solana-bot-toolkit). 5-module integration guide, gotcha matrix, anti-patterns. --- ## 🙏 Support This is free + MIT. If it saved you time, tips in SOL are appreciated: `cR9KrbsLVJvir5rY9cfY3WeNoxMwUGofzpCoVyobryy` No pressure. Star the repo or share it and that's equally valued. Landing page with QR code: **https://cryptomotifs.github.io/cipher-starter/** --- ## 💼 Hire me Solo Canadian dev (Ontario, ET). Available 20 hr/wk for x402 / MCP / Solana integration + Solana bot architecture work. The 150-page playbook is the same engineering discipline I apply on paid engagements. **Fixed-price SKUs:** | # | Service | Price | Duration | |---|---------|-------|----------| | 1 | Wire x402 into your Next.js / Node app (merged PR + live test) | **$900** | 2 days | | 2 | Solana bot architecture + security review (3-tier wallet, MEV defense, Jito) | **$1000** | 1 day | | 3 | AI-agent paid-API: 0 → live on Base with MCP wrapper | **$1200** | 3 days | **Hourly:** $150/hr open-scope, 5-hour minimum block. $125/hr if 40+ hours upfront. **Payout:** USDC on Base `0x2a33D2414312e8776dA4011c2586c2d067267210`, USDC on Solana `cR9KrbsLVJvir5rY9cfY3WeNoxMwUGofzpCoVyobryy`, or Wise-USD on request. **Engage:** open an issue titled `[Consulting]: ` on [cryptomotifs/cipher-x402-mcp](https://github.com/cryptomotifs/cipher-x402-mcp/issues/new), or DM [@cryptomotifs@techhub.social](https://techhub.social/@cryptomotifs). I reply within the hour with scope + 50% deposit address. **Also:** prompt packs for Solana / x402 / MCP devs at [cipher-checkout.vercel.app](https://cipher-checkout.vercel.app/) — 5 packs covering Anchor audit, x402 + MCP design, Solana bot engineering, crypto dev productivity, and a 20%-off bundle. Card or crypto. ## Free tools + related repos [![MCPize — cipher-x402-mcp](https://img.shields.io/badge/MCPize-cipher--x402--mcp%20%240%20%2F%20%249%20%2F%20%2429%20%2F%20%2499-00d084)](https://mcpize.com/mcp/cipher-x402-mcp) - **[cipher-solana-bot-toolkit](https://github.com/cryptomotifs/cipher-solana-bot-toolkit)**. Free MIT: flash-loan router, volume bot, arb/MEV predator, memecoin launcher, copy trader. 5 scrubbed modules extracted from months of private iteration. Pair with this playbook. - **[cipher-x402-mcp](https://github.com/cryptomotifs/cipher-x402-mcp)**. Free MIT MCP server exposing 8 Solana + macro tools to any MCP-aware client, 7 of them gated via x402 USDC on Base. Managed hosted plans ($0/$9/$29/$99) live on **[MCPize](https://mcpize.com/mcp/cipher-x402-mcp)**. - **[cipher-solana-wallet-audit](https://github.com/cryptomotifs/cipher-solana-wallet-audit)**. Free GitHub Action (v1.1.0) that fails CI on plaintext Solana private keys. - **[cipher-scan](https://cipher-scan-three.vercel.app)**. Paste any Solana wallet, get portfolio value plus hygiene flags (dust, stale stake accounts, low-liquidity warnings) plus referral CTAs for Jupiter/Backpack/Drift/Kamino. No signup, no tracking. --- ## Contact - Mastodon: [@cryptomotifs@techhub.social](https://techhub.social/@cryptomotifs) - GitHub issues, for bundle errata / typo PRs Built by someone who actually did the work. Questions → open a GitHub issue.