Two desks · invited beta

Your rules.
Your trades.
Automated.

Ballast is two desks. The Trade Desk is a trading bot on a private server you own: it watches your chosen stocks and crypto and can place trades through Robinhood by your rules. The Sports Desk is a sports information, planning and practice tool in your browser.

Your server. Your limits. Your call.

Trade Desk Sports Desk

Have an invite code? Start here. The Trade Desk starts with practice money.

YOUR RULES / AUTOMATEDILLUSTRATION

From your settings to actionCHECK.
ACT.
REPEAT.

Runs on your own server.
You stay in control.

YOU

Define the setupWatchlist. Trade sizes. Buy and sell rules.

BOT

Check the conditionsCan send orders when your rules and checks allow.

YOU

See what firedReview decisions, orders and anything needing attention.

YOUR ACCOUNT. YOUR DECISIONS.

Choose your desk

Two desks.
One Ballast.

Pick the one you came for. You can use either or both.

Trade Desk

Your own trading bot, on your own server.

The Trade Desk runs on a small private server in your own DigitalOcean account. You pay DigitalOcean about $12 a month for it; Ballast is free during the beta. Deleting the server stops the charges.

Starts in PAPERPaper trading uses practice money, so you can learn the controls without placing real orders.
Guided setupYour own Claude Code or Codex can do the setup with you, or a step-by-step wizard walks you through it.
You decide if and when to GO LIVEReal trading starts only when you type GO LIVE yourself, after the desk's checks pass.
Yours, not oursBallast never holds your broker sign-in, your keys or your money. They stay with you, your server and your broker.

Trade Desk How it works

Easiest: open Claude Code or Codex and paste one line. See the one-line setup.

Sports Desk

Sports information, planning and practice.

The Sports Desk is hosted by Ballast, so there is no server to set up. It is a free, invite-only beta that opens in your browser.

Plans and practice, not bettingIt takes no wagers, holds no money and gives no advice. The Bet Planner only plans, Practice balances are fictional, and Ballast never places a bet.
21 or older, where the beta is openOn your first visit to the Sports Desk you confirm you are 21 or older and choose your US state. The beta is open in some states only.
Sign in with a Ballast accountYou need an invite. You sign in with a passkey, or with your email and a password. Create an account.
Its own termsThe Sports Desk has its own terms, which you read and accept when you sign up. You can export or delete your account at any time.

Sports Desk

Ballast is software you direct, not investment or betting advice. Trading can lose money, including when a bot follows your rules. Ballast cannot guarantee a profit or prevent losses.

How the Trade Desk starts

Set it up.
Put it to work.

You choose what the bot follows and how much money it may use. The starting settings are examples for you to review, not recommendations.

See the three simple guides →

Make it yours.

Choose your investments and review your buying, selling and spending limits.

Paper trading first.

Paper trading uses simulated money so you can learn the controls without placing real orders. Practice results do not predict live returns.

Turn on real trading yourself.

The desk asks you to review the Terms and type GO LIVE. Stay involved and check its activity.

Is the Trade Desk right for you?

For traders who
want to automate.

Choose your watchlist, trade sizes and buying and selling rules. The Trade Desk runs repeated checks and can send orders to Robinhood when the conditions allow.

It isn't a set-and-forget service. Your server, your broker connection and your attention all matter.

What you'll need

Need a Robinhood account? Open Robinhood using an optional referral link. Referral disclosure: the referrer may receive a reward; eligibility and Robinhood terms apply. An account alone does not guarantee Agentic access or Ballast compatibility. You can sign up directly with Robinhood instead.

An invite codeThe beta is by invitation. One code sets up your Trade Desk.
A DigitalOcean accountWith a payment method. The server costs about $12 a month, paid to DigitalOcean. Backups cost extra and are optional.
A supported Robinhood connectionLive stock trading needs Robinhood's Agentic access. A regular Robinhood login alone isn't enough; check your account's access before you set up.
An AI key of your ownThe Trade Desk needs an AI key from Anthropic or OpenAI for the engine's news check and research and for the Assistant. You choose which. It is a separate service that can charge for usage.

Start the Trade Desk setup →

A few things to know

Your questions, answered.

What does it cost?

Ballast charges nothing during the invited beta. For the Trade Desk you pay DigitalOcean directly, about $12 a month for the server. Broker, market-data and AI services may charge separately. Paid plans have not launched.

Does my money stay with Robinhood?

Your brokerage account holds your money and investments. Your Trade Desk connects to it to check information and, when you enable live trading, send orders. You don't deposit investment money with Ballast. Ballast is independent of Robinhood and is not endorsed by it.

What does Ballast see?

For a Trade Desk, Ballast keeps your email, your username, your server's public IP address and public key, and a daily check-in. Ballast never sees your broker logins, balances, orders, passwords or codes. Read the privacy and safety page.

Can it trade stocks and crypto?

The beta supports stock trading through Robinhood Agentic and crypto through a separate Robinhood Crypto connection. Options execution is disabled in the current beta. Looking at research does not automatically add an investment to the bot's trading list.

What does practice mode tell me?

Practice mode, also called paper trading, uses simulated money. Prices may also be simulated when broker data isn't available. It helps you learn the controls; it does not show what you will earn with real money.

Can I stop the bot?

Yes. STOP halts automated trading, including automatic selling checks. Learn what each control does before you use real money: see the control reference.

What are the risks?

You can lose money. Internet problems, broker outages or an order that needs review can stop the bot from acting. A stop-loss cannot guarantee a sale or a price. Ballast is software you control, not investment advice. Read the risk disclosure and privacy and safety page.

What happened to the earlier edition that ran on your own computer?

It is retired. The Trade Desk replaces it. A copy you already have keeps running on your computer, but it no longer receives updates.

Get started

Pick your desk.
Put your rules to work.

Have an invite code? Set up your Trade Desk and start with practice money. Or open the Sports Desk in your browser.

Trade Desk Sports Desk

Your rules.Your trades.Automated.

Two desks.One Ballast.