Ballast Terms of Use (Beta)

Version 2026-09-15-beta. By clicking "I agree" you accept these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the software.

1. What Ballast is — and is not

Ballast is self-directed software: a locally-installed tool that executes the trading configuration you create, in your brokerage account, on your computer. Ballast Digital ("we") is a software vendor. We are not a broker-dealer, not an investment adviser, and not your fiduciary. Nothing in the software, its sample configurations, its documentation, or its research surfaces is investment, legal, or tax advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any asset.

2. You are the operator

Shipped defaults are labeled samples, not recommendations. You are

responsible for reviewing and setting every rule, watchlist entry, and limit before enabling trading.

Live trading begins only after you complete the go-live steps and type the

confirmation. Until then the software operates in paper (simulated) mode.

You are solely responsible for your trades, losses, taxes, brokerage

relationships, API-provider terms, and legal compliance in your jurisdiction.

3. Risk disclosure

Trading securities and cryptocurrency involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Automated systems can act on stale data, software defects, or market conditions no rule anticipated, and can lose money faster than a human would. Hypothetical, simulated, and backtested results have inherent limitations, do not represent actual trading, and are no guarantee of future results. Never trade money you cannot afford to lose.

4. Your accounts and keys

The software connects to accounts and API services using credentials you supply. Those credentials are stored on your machine, and your agreements with those providers are between you and them. We have no custody of, or access to, your funds, accounts, or keys.

5. Beta software

This is pre-release software provided free of charge for evaluation. It may contain defects, may change without notice, and features may be added or removed. Updates and hosted conveniences (waitlist, invites, referral counters) may be modified or discontinued at any time. Safety features that run locally (stops, exits, circuit breakers, the kill switch) are designed to work regardless of any subscription or server, but like all software they are not guaranteed to be free of defects.

6. License

We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to install and use the software, and to modify your own installation for your own use. You may not resell, redistribute, sublicense, or offer the software (or a derivative) to third parties, and you may not use it to provide advisory or money-management services to others.

7. Disclaimer of warranty

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR PROFITABLE.

8. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: (a) WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY TRADING LOSSES, LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY; AND (b) OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID US FOR THE SOFTWARE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM (OR $50 IF YOU PAID NOTHING). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; these apply to the fullest extent permitted.

9. Indemnity

You will indemnify and hold us harmless from claims arising out of your use of the software, your trading activity, your configurations, or your breach of these terms.

10. Privacy

The software runs locally and does not send us your positions, balances, orders, credentials, or account identity. What we do receive:

What you submit to our website (waitlist email, invite redemption

email, referral enrollment) — used to operate those features and to contact you about Ballast.

A daily update check — the software asks our server whether a newer

version exists (a plain web request; no personal data attached).

Community insights, only if you opt in (off by default, Refer tab): an

anonymized snapshot — a random install id, app version, your watchlist *symbols*, and coarse feature flags. Never quantities, balances, orders, credentials, or identity. We use these snapshots, in aggregate, to build community features (like "most-watched assets") and may commercialize anonymized aggregates; we will never sell data that identifies you. Turn it off any time and the sharing stops.

See the in-app Sources page for what each optional third-party connection shares with its own provider under its own terms.

11. Changes and termination

We may update these terms for new versions of the software; the version you accepted governs the copy you accepted it on, and a changed version will ask for acceptance again. You may stop using the software at any time. We may terminate the license if you materially breach these terms.

12. General

These terms are the entire agreement regarding the beta. If a provision is unenforceable, the rest remain in effect. These terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the state of our principal place of business, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

*Questions: hello@ballastdigital.xyz*