About Chump
The world's first hamster-powered crypto trading experiment
Meet Chump
Chump is our fat furball who lives in a custom-built habitat equipped with motion sensors. Every time he waddles through tunnels, it triggers real trading signals that execute on a simulated $10,000 portfolio. No algorithms, no AI predictionsâjust pure Chump instinct.
The Legend That Started It All
In the wild days of 1999, during the peak of the dot-com bubble, a curious experiment shook the financial world. A raven gorillaâyes, you read that rightâwas given a dartboard and a list of stocks. Each time it threw a dart, researchers would buy that stock. The results were shocking: the gorilla's random picks performed just as well as, and sometimes better than, professional Wall Street analysts.
This wasn't just a fluke. The experiment exposed a fundamental truth about markets: randomness and luck play a far bigger role than most traders care to admit. The gorilla didn't read earnings reports, didn't analyze charts, didn't follow insider tips. It just threw darts. And it won.
Fast forward 25 years to the crypto eraâwhere volatility is king and memes move markets. We asked ourselves: what if we took that legendary experiment and made it real-time? What if instead of darts, we used a hamster's natural movements? What if every tunnel exploration, every curious sniff, every waddle became a trading signal?
"The best trading strategy is no strategy at allâjust pure, unfiltered animal instinct. Chump doesn't know what Bitcoin is. He doesn't care about market caps or tokenomics. He just knows which tunnel feels right. And sometimes, that's enough."
How It Works
The system combines physical sensors with automated trading logic to create a unique, transparent, and entertaining trading experience.
IR break-beam sensors detect when the hamster enters the left (BUY) or right (SELL) tunnel.
A Raspberry Pi captures sensor events and sends them to our backend server in real-time.
The backend applies risk rules (leverage, cooldowns, limits) and opens positions using live market prices.
Watch the hamster live 24/7 while positions update in real-time on the dashboard.
Tech Stack
Built with modern web technologies for speed, reliability, and real-time updates.
Chump's Welfare
Chump's health and happiness come first. The trading system is designed around his natural behavior, not the other way around.
Full Transparency
Everything happens in the open. No hidden algorithms, no fake trades, no manipulation.
Important Disclaimer
HamsterTrader is an entertainment and educational project. All trading is simulated with virtual funds. This is not financial advice. A hamster's random movements have no predictive value for cryptocurrency markets. Never invest real money based on what you see here. Cryptocurrency trading involves substantial risk of loss. This project exists purely for fun and to explore the intersection of hardware, software, and absurdity.