MB S Cont

Momentum-continuation short · All regimes · Demo

MB S Cont shorts the most structurally beaten-down tokens in the universe - names ranked in the bottom 20% by cross-sectional momentum (XS < 20) - but only when they are still actively falling. Two confirmation gates ensure we are riding continuation, not catching a bounce: the 1-hour rank must be worse than the 4-hour rank, and the XS score must be lower than it was one hour ago.

This is a different thesis from MB S, which fades recent winners (mean-reversion). S Cont fades recent losers that keep losing (momentum continuation). The two strategies are complementary: S Cont fires in bear regimes and risk-off conditions; MB S fires when hot tokens cool.

Entry Logic

Every 4 hours the rebalance loop pulls the full 150-symbol universe from the MB API and filters it through four sequential gates. A token must pass all four to be entered.

Gate 1XS rank - structural downtrend

XS_SCORE_MAX = 20

XS score ranks all ~150 active perpetuals by cross-sectional momentum across 1h, 4h, 24h, and 7d windows. A score below 20 means the token is in the bottom 20% of the entire universe - structural underperformance, not a temporary dip.

Gate 2TS score - trend not reversing

TS_ENTRY_MIN = 5 · TS_ENTRY_MAX = 30

The time-series score (TS) measures own-history momentum. The floor (5) excludes dead/delisted symbols with no data. The ceiling (30) is the key gate: if TS is already recovering above 30 the trend may be reversing - we skip those.

Gate 3XS rank declining (1h vs 4h)

XS_RANK_DECLINING = true

Requires xs_1h_rank < xs_4h_rank. A lower 1h rank than 4h rank means the token is performing worse in the most recent hour than it was over the prior 4 hours - momentum is still accelerating downward, not stabilising. Names where 1h rank ≥ 4h rank are stabilising or bouncing; we skip those.

Gate 4XS score delta (1h) - still falling

XS_SCORE_DELTA_1H_MAX = 0

The composite XS score must be lower now than it was ~1 hour ago. This filters out names that are stuck at the bottom but no longer falling - they have no continuation edge. If the 1h data is unavailable (warm-up period), the gate passes through so the bot is never idle at launch.

Exit Mechanisms

Four independent exits fire in order of aggression. The first one to trigger wins.

MechanismTriggerPurpose
Stop-loss−16% vs entryHard floor - protects against sudden short squeezes
Max hold4 hours after entryPrevents positions drifting into new market regimes overnight
TS recovery exitTS score rises above 35Closes when own-history momentum reverses - the trend is over
Book trailProfit ≥ 2.5%; then 1% pullbackLocks in gains on fast continuation moves

The TS recovery exit is the most intellectually interesting: it uses the same TS score that filters entry (must be ≤ 30) to signal exit (≥ 35). The 5-point gap prevents thrashing on noise. When TS crosses 35 the downtrend has structurally reversed and holding the short becomes a directional bet against fresh momentum.

Regime & Risk Parameters

Max positions

5

$500 notional each · 2× leverage

Stop loss

16%

Wide enough to survive short squeezes

Regimes

All

Data-gathering phase - restricted post-validation

Data-gathering phase

MB S Cont launched July 2026 and is in active data collection. All five regime slots are open. Once 2–3 weeks of data are available, regime restrictions will be added based on observed performance by regime. Current results should be treated as exploratory, not representative of the final configuration.

How It Differs From MB S

DimensionMB SMB S Cont
ThesisMean reversion - fade recent winnersMomentum continuation - ride losers lower
XS entry zoneXS 80–90 (top performers)XS < 20 (bottom performers)
Confirmation3-factor combined score ≥ 52Rank declining 1h vs 4h + negative 1h XS delta
Stop loss16% (validated June 2026)16%
Exit signalScore decay / max holdTS recovery > 35 / max hold 4h
Best regimeCautious / neutral (under review)All regimes (data-gathering)

Timing & Execution

  • Rebalance fires every 4 hours. At each cycle the full 150-symbol universe is rescored.
  • Up to 5 positions open simultaneously. New entries fill from the highest combined-score candidates that pass all four gates.
  • Positions already held are checked for TS recovery exit and max-hold expiry before new entries are considered.
  • Book trail arms at +2.5% profit and trails with a 1% pullback - captured automatically without waiting for the next rebalance cycle.
  • The 1h XS delta gate passes through when the 1h lookback data is absent (first ~55 minutes after service start), ensuring the bot opens positions immediately on launch.