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What can be traded algorithmically — a survey of instrument classes

Date: 2026-10-04

Scope

Algorithmic trading systems already trade nearly every regulated macro asset class: equities, ETF shares, index products, FX spot, listed futures/options/CFDs, crypto (spot, perps, options), commodity futures, rates/bond futures, and volatility products. The two archetypes are exchange-listed derivatives (futures/options) and broker-hosted CFDs / FX spot — both equitable up to specifics of venue truth, cost model, and settlement mechanics.

Predominant engine categories

  • Equities and ETFs: momentum and reversion signals, sector risk, earnings event strategies, long/short portfolios, dividend capture.
  • Futures on indices/commodities/rates: calendar spreads, roll capture, seasonal, carry.
  • Options: straddle/strangle income, covered calls, vertical spreads, delta-hedged gamma scalps.
  • FX spot / CFDs: carry, mean-reversion, carry-trade, cross-asset risk triggers.
  • Crypto: 24/7 perp breakouts, funding-rate harvesting, basis/futures-perpetual, options smile arbitrage.

Why they exist for algorithms

  1. Every class has reference venues that publish fair canonical streams (trades/bars, depth, chain/settlement); there is no algorithmic system that gets identical venue truth without bid ask/Ausführung gaps.
  2. Each market has a unique cost layer: futures clearing fees, CFD spread+swap, crypto maker/taker, options bid/ask spreads, margin schedules.
  3. Settlement behavior differs enough to avoid modeling errors; futures expire, CFDs roll, options settle at delivery/expiry, perps roll perpativamente via funding.
  4. Infrastructure: qkt + mt5-gateway for broker CFDs, qkt-venue-gateway for VGP adapters (paper, Deribit), local strategy engine.

Limitations for qkt today

  • Live MT5 is broker-hosted CFD; crypto spot/perps/options work through venue adapters.
  • Alt assets (real estate, loans, prediction markets) lack the same VGP adapter coverage and cannot share one contract as cleanly as public venues do.

Takeaway

For the engine architecture, the right taxonomy is by venue truth + instrument class, not by asset name. CFDs live inside mt5-gateway brokers, futures/options/perps live inside qkt-venue-gateway adapters. Everything else belongs to a venue contract exposing the same series shape (listed instruments, bars, depth, chains, funding, settlements, etc.).

Sources

  • https://aip.vse.cz/pdfs/aip/2025/03/13.pdf