Safety & Funds
Before using live copy trading, understand the boundaries of API authorization, fund custody, and trading risks.
This page answers three questions: Where is your money, who can touch it, and what to do if something goes wrong. If you read only one page of documentation, make it this one.
Where Your Funds Reside
Your funds remain inside your personal exchange account. CopySonar executes trades solely via authorized APIs. CopySonar is not an exchange, broker, or custodian. Plan subscription fees and copy trading capital are entirely separate matters, and the capital cap does not represent your maximum potential loss.
Do Not Confuse the Three Wallets
| Where Funds Stay | Who Has Access | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Your Exchange Futures Account | You + Authorized API | Trading capital & positions stay here; platform only routes orders |
| Your Bank / On-Chain Wallet | Only You | Deposits/withdrawals handled directly by you on exchange; platform has no involvement |
| Plan Subscription Fees | Paid to Operator | Unrelated to trading capital; never enters trading accounts |
The platform has no withdrawal permissions, has no transfer permissions, and cannot see your login password. It holds encrypted API credentials restricted to Read + Futures Trading.
What Is the Capital Cap
Plan copy capital limits (500 / 5,000 / 20,000 USDT) represent allocatable copy trading capacity:
- It is not your account balance, not your margin, and certainly not your maximum loss.
- It determines how much copy capital you can deploy simultaneously.
- Paused or abnormal tasks still consume quota; only stopped tasks release quota.
- Losses can exceed the capital cap because leverage amplifies notional exposure.
TODO 素材：此处补「交易所账户与 CopySonar 跟单本金展示位置，隐藏账户身份与敏感数据」截图
Least Privilege & Credential Protection
Grant only Read and Futures Trading permissions; disable withdrawals and transfers, and configure the platform egress IP whitelist. Lacking withdrawal permissions does not eliminate the possibility of trading losses.
The UI displays only masked keys; never expose API Keys, Secrets, or Passphrases in chats, tickets, or media. Egress IPs are governed by the live management page. See Add Exchange API for binding steps.
Permission Checklist
| Permission | Needed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Read | Yes | Reads balance, positions, and permission state for sizing and risk controls |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Live copy trading must be able to submit orders |
| Withdrawal | Strictly No | Direct fund exit; leaking this hands account control to others |
| Universal Transfer | Strictly No | Moves funds between wallets; risk is equivalent to withdrawal |
| Internal Transfer | Strictly No | Same as above; fund movement capability |
| Spot Trading | No | This platform exclusively handles futures copy trading |
The platform actively probes these switches upon binding; discovering withdrawal or transfer enabled causes immediate rejection. This server-side check does not rely on checkbox honor systems.
Six Rules of Credential Protection
- Enter Secret & Passphrase only once. Paste directly into the binding form upon creation; never save to albums or chats.
- Redact before screenshotting. The platform masks keys, but exchange pages display them in full.
- Never paste into support tickets. Official staff do not need your keys; anyone requesting them is an impostor.
- Never reuse the same key across multiple services. Dedicate one key per service for clean isolation and revocation.
- Review key lists periodically. Keep an eye on "Last Check Time" and "Associated Tasks".
- Revoke immediately if compromised. Delete the key on the exchange, rather than merely unbinding in the app.
IP Whitelisting
- Include only the platform egress IP displayed in the binding form (usually a single IP).
- Do not enter
0.0.0.0/0, do not add multiple random IPs, and do not reuse addresses from old environments. - When no fixed egress IP is configured by the host, key binding is disabled as a safety measure.
- When an egress IP updates: update whitelist on exchange → re-verify in CopySonar. Updating only one side blocks tasks.
How Credentials Are Stored
- Credentials are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM; interfaces and logs only output masked values.
- The execution engine must decrypt credentials in memory to sign trading requests; "encrypted storage" does not mean "uninvokable by anyone".
- No system is unconditionally invincible; least privilege and rapid revocation remain your primary defenses.
Leverage & Execution Risks
Futures trading can result in total capital loss due to leverage, liquidation, slippage, latency, and liquidity shifts. Historical returns, scores, and paper performance do not guarantee future results.
The Risk Multiplier is not a profit multiplier; risk budgets, slippage caps, and drawdown stops are not fill or max loss guarantees. Post-trigger execution is subject to market, exchange, and system conditions.
Where Trading Losses Come From
| Source | Mechanism | Can Be Eliminated via Config? |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect Direction | Lead trader takes a losing trade; you replicate it | No, only minimized by better selection |
| Leverage Amplification | Equal price moves cause larger equity swings | Partially, by lowering multiplier or using fixed leverage |
| Slippage | Your fill price deviates from the trader's price | Partially, via slippage caps (though misses increase) |
| Latency | Price shifts between signal creation and your order | No, only mitigated by choosing liquid coins |
| Funding Fees | Carrying cost of long-term perpetual swap positions | Partially, by limiting holding duration |
| Liquidation | Insufficient margin triggers exchange liquidation | Partially, by capping notional exposure |
| System Glitch | Missed fills, duplicate fills, out-of-sync states | No; requires retaining exchange management capability |
What Risk Controls Can and Cannot Do
| Mechanism | What It Does | What It Does NOT Do |
|---|---|---|
| Slippage Ceiling | Drops signal if divergence exceeds limit | Guarantee ideal fill prices |
| Chase Window | Aborts order if window expires | Guarantee fills within the window |
| Drawdown Stop | Switches to reduce-only once reached | Automatically market dump or cap max loss |
| Account Loss Budget | Halts new risk once budget exhausted | Stop existing positions from continuing to lose |
| Notional Caps | Limits total notional exposure | Prevent gap-down or flash-wick liquidations |
In summary: All risk controls "reduce new risk additions"; none "guarantee against losses".
Beta Testing Reminders
- The product remains in beta and may experience delays, interruptions, or data anomalies.
- Start with modest capital; only commit funds you can afford to lose completely.
- Plan capital caps apply during beta, but a high cap does not imply it is wise to deploy it.
- Always retain the ability to inspect and close positions directly on the exchange.
Incident Response
If you detect unknown orders, suspect credential leaks, or encounter task anomalies: verify orders, open positions, and API authorizations on the exchange first, then take action according to actual risk. Pausing, terminating, and revoking keys have different consequences; read confirmation instructions carefully.
Unbinding in CopySonar does not revoke the exchange key; revoking the key on the exchange does not automatically liquidate open positions. Revocation impacts ongoing order management; continue checking your open positions. Preserve timestamps and masked error logs when requesting support.
Scenario-Based Playbooks
Scenario A: Suspected Key Compromise
- Immediately delete the key on the exchange (do not wait to unbind in the app).
- Inspect open positions, active orders, and withdrawal history on the exchange.
- Change your exchange account password, review 2FA, and inspect authorized devices.
- Return to CopySonar, stop associated tasks, and handle lingering positions.
- Contact support@copysonar.com with timestamps and redacted details only.
Scenario B: Unfamiliar Orders in Account
- Check Task Details first: is it an automated order from an active task?
- Inspect order origin IP and source details in the exchange trade history.
- If not originating from any task, treat as Scenario A immediately.
Scenario C: Task Status Stuck or Data Missing
- Refresh Task Details to rule out transient network delays.
- Cross-reference actual positions and fills directly on the exchange.
- A
—indicates data has not yet returned; do not interpret as zero. - If issues persist, stop the task and contact support.
Scenario D: Risk Budget or Drawdown Triggered
- Inspect exact reason in Task Details (budget exhausted, external transfers, equity drop, etc.).
- Confirm reduce-only mode is active (reducing/closing positions is generally permitted).
- Do not count on "auto-resuming when prices recover": most risk stops require administrator review before clearance.
Real Impact of Three Actions
| Action | Stops New Orders? | Liquidates Positions? | Revokes Exchange Access? | Resumable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pause New Risk | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Stop Copy (Keep Positions) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Stop Copy (Market Close) | Yes | Attempts | No | No |
| Unbind Key in App | Yes | No | No | Must re-bind |
| Delete Key on Exchange | Yes | No | Yes | Must re-create |
Pay close attention to the last two rows: Unbinding is NOT revoking. Truly revoking access happens solely on the exchange side.
TODO 素材：此处补「关联任务检查、解绑提示及交易所撤销 Key 入口，不展示凭据」录屏
Compliance & Service Scope
- This service is not available to residents of Mainland China. Registering represents your confirmation that you do not reside in an excluded jurisdiction and are qualified under local laws and exchange terms.
- The product provides software tools only; it does not constitute investment advice, profit promises, or asset management.
- Data and ratings derive from public records and authorized user data; completeness, timeliness, and accuracy are not guaranteed.
- Terms of service, privacy policy, and risk disclosures have independent versioning; updates are published in-app, with re-consent requested for expanded authorizations.
Safety Checklist
Review item by item before going live; stop and address any item that is not met:
- [ ] Key has only Read + Futures Trading; Withdrawal and Transfers are disabled.
- [ ] IP whitelist contains only the platform egress IP.
- [ ] Account is in Hedge Mode (dual-position).
- [ ] This key has no other active live copy tasks.
- [ ] Allocated capital is within available quota, and I can afford complete loss.
- [ ] I understand the differences between Pause, Stop, Unbind, and Revoke.
- [ ] I am capable of independently inspecting and liquidating positions on the exchange.
- [ ] I have never posted any API credentials in chats, tickets, or screenshots.
Related Pages
- Binding and revoking credentials: Add Exchange API
- How parameters affect risk: Create Copy · Parameters
- Specific troubleshooting: FAQ