Risk control node

1. Node overview

The risk control node is the last line of defense for a quantitative trading strategy. It maintains a strategy runtime NAV starting at 1.0 from changes in cumulative strategy P&L while isolating pure deposits and withdrawals. Users select one of two mutually exclusive modes: capital drawdown or high-water-mark drawdown. When the threshold is reached, the system forcibly closes all positions and enters cooldown.

Position in the data flow
Data sourceData processingAI modelStrategy typePosition managementRisk controlTrading engine
Liquidation threshold

Select either capital or high-water-mark drawdown

Both modes read the strategy runtime NAV

Forcibly closes every position when triggered

Cooldown period

Pauses strategy trading after liquidation

Allows the market time to stabilize

Resets the selected mode's baseline when cooldown ends

2. Interactive configuration

The panel below is the actual risk control node configuration. Use it to explore every setting directly.

Risk control configuration

When losses relative to starting capital reach this ratio, positions are closed and trading enters cooldown. The capital record resets automatically after cooldown.

Suggested values:

• 0.10 (10%): Conservative

• 0.20 (20%): Default

• 0.30 (30%): High risk

hours

Trading resumes after the specified wait period following liquidation.

Suggested values

• 1-2h: Short cooldown for high-frequency strategies

• 4-6h: Suitable for most scenarios

• 12-24h: Long cooldown for daily strategies

• 48-72h: Extended cooldown after major losses

3. Configuration details

3.1 Liquidation threshold

The two liquidation modes are mutually exclusive and both use strategy runtime NAV; when triggered, the system forcibly closes every position.
ParameterDefaultDescription
Capital drawdown (liquidationRatio)0.20 (20%)Set threshold L and set the high-water-mark threshold to 0. Capital is represented by NAV = 1.0 at strategy start or after cooldown. The mode triggers when NAV - 1 ≤ -L, equivalently NAV ≤ 1 - L. New nodes use this mode by default.
High-water-mark drawdown (drawdownRatio)0.25 (25%)Set threshold D and set the capital-drawdown threshold to 0. The high-water mark H is the highest NAV in the current baseline period. The mode triggers when NAV / H - 1 ≤ -D, equivalently after a decline of at least D from H.

Runtime NAV: each period's return equals (current cumulative strategy P&L - previous cumulative strategy P&L) / previous account equity, and NAV compounds by that return. Cumulative strategy P&L includes both realized and unrealized P&L.

Pure deposits and withdrawals do not directly change NAV; they only adjust the account-equity denominator for the next period. The threshold is therefore not an account metric based only on unrealized P&L divided by position cost.

Capital drawdown trigger illustration (20% example)
0%-10%-20%-30%Capital threshold -20%Close all; cooldownTriggered
— Runtime NAV drawdown-- Capital threshold● Trigger

1. Capital drawdown mode monitors strategy runtime NAV from a baseline of NAV = 1.0.

2. When NAV declines 20% from the baseline (NAV ≤ 0.8), all positions are closed immediately.

3. The strategy then enters cooldown. When cooldown ends, the current sample establishes a new capital baseline at NAV = 1.0.

3.2 Cooldown period

The period during which strategy trading is paused after liquidation.
ParameterDefaultDescription
Cooldown duration1Hours to wait after liquidation. 1 means one hour. The strategy cannot open positions during this period; afterward, the selected mode's capital baseline or high-water mark resets and trading resumes.
Cooldown workflow
1
Liquidation threshold reached
2
Force-close positions
3
Enter cooldown
4
Wait N hours
5
Reset baseline and resume
Why use a cooldown:

Prevents repeated liquidations and compounding losses during extreme conditions.

Gives the market time to stabilize and reduces losses caused by violent short-term volatility.

Gives the trader time to reassess rather than chase price moves emotionally.

High-frequency strategies (1-2 hours)
Suitable for intraday strategies that need to resume quickly. Confirm that liquidation resulted from temporary volatility rather than a trend reversal.
Medium- and low-frequency strategies (4-24 hours)
Suitable for swing and trend strategies, allowing enough time to observe the market. This range is recommended for most users.

4. FAQ

Q: How does the liquidation threshold differ from the stop loss in position management?

A position-management stop loss applies to one trade or instrument and controls strategy-level risk.

The risk-control liquidation threshold reads strategy runtime NAV, including realized and unrealized P&L, and closes all positions when capital or high-water-mark drawdown reaches its limit. It is the portfolio-level final safeguard.

Recommendation: use both. Set a smaller per-trade stop in position management (such as 2-5%) and a larger account stop in risk control (such as 15-25%).

Q: Can I trade manually during the cooldown?

Automated strategy trading is paused, but manual trading remains available. The cooldown affects only automated execution and does not restrict manual account operations.

Q: How should I choose a reasonable liquidation threshold?

Select one mode first, then consider these factors:

Mode: capital drawdown limits cumulative loss within one baseline period; high-water-mark drawdown protects an achieved NAV peak.

Maximum strategy drawdown: the threshold is typically slightly above the strategy's historical maximum drawdown.

Risk tolerance: base it on the maximum loss you can accept.

Panel defaults: 20% for capital drawdown and 25% after switching to high-water-mark drawdown. The two modes cannot be enabled together.

Q: Does the strategy resume automatically after the cooldown?

Yes. It resumes automatically. Capital drawdown mode restarts from NAV = 1.0 at the current sample; high-water-mark drawdown mode also establishes a new high-water mark from the current sample. If you stop the strategy manually during the cooldown, it will remain stopped until you restart it manually.

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