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Overview

Simple Kalshi Bot uses environment variables for configuration. Store these in a .env file in the project root.

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Required Variables

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KALSHI_API_KEY_ID

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KALSHI_API_KEY_ID
string
required
Your Kalshi API key ID from account profile
Where to get:
  1. Log in to Kalshi
  2. Go to Profile → API Keys
  3. Create new API key
  4. Copy the key ID
KALSHI_API_KEY_ID=your-api-key-id-here

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KALSHI_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH

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KALSHI_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH
string
required
Path to RSA private key file for API authentication
Setup:
  1. Generate RSA key pair when creating API key in Kalshi
  2. Download private key file
  3. Store securely (e.g., ~/.key/kalshi/key)
  4. Set path in environment variable
KALSHI_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=~/.key/kalshi/key

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API Configuration

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KALSHI_USE_DEMO

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KALSHI_USE_DEMO
string
default:"true"
Use demo API (“true”) or production API (“false”)
Values: 
# Safe for testing
KALSHI_USE_DEMO=true

# Real trading (be careful!)
KALSHI_USE_DEMO=false

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KALSHI_EVENT_TICKER_PREFIX

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KALSHI_EVENT_TICKER_PREFIX
string
default:"KXBTC15M"
Market series ticker to monitor
Common values:
  • KXBTC15M: 15-minute Bitcoin price prediction
  • KXBTC-24H: 24-hour Bitcoin price
  • Custom series ticker
KALSHI_EVENT_TICKER_PREFIX=KXBTC15M

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Trading Configuration

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DRY_RUN

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DRY_RUN
string
default:"true"
Simulate orders without executing (“true” or “false”)
Safety feature:
  • "true": Generate order IDs but don’t send to API
  • "false": Execute real orders
# Keep this true until fully tested!
DRY_RUN=true

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STAKE_USD

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STAKE_USD
float
default:"5.0"
Stake amount per trade for simple strategies (USD)
STAKE_USD=5.0

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POLL_SECONDS

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POLL_SECONDS
int
default:"5"
Polling interval between market checks (seconds)
POLL_SECONDS=5

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MOMENTUM_WINDOW_SECONDS

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MOMENTUM_WINDOW_SECONDS
int
default:"60"
BTC price lookback window for momentum strategy (seconds)
MOMENTUM_WINDOW_SECONDS=60

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Consensus Strategy Configuration

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INITIAL_BANKROLL_USD

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INITIAL_BANKROLL_USD
float
default:"500.0"
Initial bankroll for consensus strategies (USD)
INITIAL_BANKROLL_USD=500.0

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CONSENSUS_RISK_PCT

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CONSENSUS_RISK_PCT
float
default:"0.01"
Risk percentage per trade for consensus strategies (0.01 = 1%)
CONSENSUS_RISK_PCT=0.01

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CONSENSUS_MAX_RISK_PCT

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CONSENSUS_MAX_RISK_PCT
float
default:"0.02"
Maximum risk per trade (0.02 = 2%)
CONSENSUS_MAX_RISK_PCT=0.02

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CONSENSUS_MAX_PRICE

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CONSENSUS_MAX_PRICE
float
default:"0.55"
Maximum contract price for consensus trades (USD)
CONSENSUS_MAX_PRICE=0.55

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CONSENSUS_FEE_PCT

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CONSENSUS_FEE_PCT
float
default:"0.0"
Trading fee percentage to subtract from profit (0.0 = 0%)
CONSENSUS_FEE_PCT=0.0

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CONSENSUS_ROLLING_WINDOW

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CONSENSUS_ROLLING_WINDOW
int
default:"30"
Number of recent trades to analyze for win rate
CONSENSUS_ROLLING_WINDOW=30

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CONSENSUS_DAILY_LOSS_CAP_R

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CONSENSUS_DAILY_LOSS_CAP_R
float
default:"3.0"
Daily loss limit in R multiples (3.0 = 3× risk amount)
CONSENSUS_DAILY_LOSS_CAP_R=3.0

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CONSENSUS_WEEKLY_LOSS_CAP_R

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CONSENSUS_WEEKLY_LOSS_CAP_R
float
default:"8.0"
Weekly loss limit in R multiples (8.0 = 8× risk amount)
CONSENSUS_WEEKLY_LOSS_CAP_R=8.0

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File Paths

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MOCK_TRADES_CSV_PATH

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MOCK_TRADES_CSV_PATH
string
default:"data/mock_trades.csv"
CSV file path for bot.py trade history
MOCK_TRADES_CSV_PATH=data/mock_trades.csv

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CONSENSUS_TRADES_CSV

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CONSENSUS_TRADES_CSV
string
default:"data/consensus_trades.csv"
CSV file path for consensus.py trade history
CONSENSUS_TRADES_CSV=data/consensus_trades.csv

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Complete Example .env File

# Kalshi API credentials
KALSHI_API_KEY_ID=your-api-key-id
KALSHI_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=~/.key/kalshi/key

# Environment: true = demo, false = production
KALSHI_USE_DEMO=true

# Trading safety
DRY_RUN=true

# Stake per trade in USD
STAKE_USD=5

# Market series to watch
KALSHI_EVENT_TICKER_PREFIX=KXBTC15M

# Polling interval in seconds
POLL_SECONDS=5

# Lookback window for BTC momentum strategy
MOMENTUM_WINDOW_SECONDS=60

# Consensus strategy configuration
INITIAL_BANKROLL_USD=500
CONSENSUS_RISK_PCT=0.01
CONSENSUS_MAX_RISK_PCT=0.02
CONSENSUS_MAX_PRICE=0.55
CONSENSUS_FEE_PCT=0.0
CONSENSUS_ROLLING_WINDOW=30
CONSENSUS_DAILY_LOSS_CAP_R=3
CONSENSUS_WEEKLY_LOSS_CAP_R=8

# Output CSV paths
MOCK_TRADES_CSV_PATH=data/mock_trades.csv
CONSENSUS_TRADES_CSV=data/consensus_trades.csv

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Loading Environment Variables

All modules use python-dotenv to load variables: 
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

# Access variables
api_key = os.getenv("KALSHI_API_KEY_ID")
use_demo = os.getenv("KALSHI_USE_DEMO", "true").lower() == "true"
stake = float(os.getenv("STAKE_USD", "5.0"))

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Security Best Practices

  1. Never commit .env to git 
    echo ".env" >> .gitignore
  2. Use .env.example for documentation 
    cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your actual credentials
  3. Protect private key file 
    chmod 600 ~/.key/kalshi/key
  4. Start with demo + dry run 
    KALSHI_USE_DEMO=true
DRY_RUN=true
  5. Test thoroughly before production
    • Run demo API for days/weeks
    • Verify P&L calculations
    • Test all edge cases
    • Only then switch to production

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