Building CryptoSentinel: A Telegram Bot for Crypto Traders

Robin Bohrer
4 min readJun 6, 2023

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In the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency trading, having the right information at the right time can make all the difference. As a crypto enthusiast and trader, I’ve used almost every tool on the market.

From trading platforms to analytics tools, I’ve tried them all.

But I always found myself juggling between multiple tools to get the information I needed. That’s when I had an idea: why not build a Telegram bot that brings all this information together?

CryptoSentinel is a one-stop tool for monitoring market sentiment, spying on copy traders, and getting general information about cryptos right from your phone or desktop in Telegram.

It’s designed to combat the information overload problem many traders face. It’s more than just a bot; it’s a comprehensive tool aimed at empowering traders with real-time, actionable information.

The Journey

The journey to building CryptoSentinel started with a simple idea. I wanted to create a tool that would simplify the trading process and provide valuable insights that traders could use to make informed decisions.

The first steps involved playing around with different APIs for data and concept ideas. I discovered the LunarCrush API for sentiment data and a Binance endpoint that allowed me to track open positions from copy traders. This was particularly exciting because it gave me a unique insight into where liquidity might be trapped.

The biggest challenge was learning how to use Python to interact with the Telegram API and other APIs I was using. As a beginner, it was a steep learning curve. But with hard work and persistence, I started to get the hang of it.

I spent countless hours reading documentation, experimenting with different approaches, and debugging my code. It was a challenging process, but it was also incredibly rewarding.

One particular problem I faced was managing the API responses.

The Binance Positions endpoint, for example, returned a huge JSON that was difficult to parse and filter. But thanks to tools like ChatGPT and GithubCopilot, I was able to offload some of the sorting and filtering work to AI. This not only saved me a lot of time but also helped me focus on the more critical aspects of the project.

Technical Deep Dive

Under the hood, CryptoSentinel consists of two main scripts: a producer and a consumer/worker. The producer listens for updates from the Telegram API and sends those updates to a message queue (RabbitMQ). The messages are then distributed to the consumer/worker for processing. Once an update is processed, it’s sent back to the user on Telegram.

This architecture allows for efficient processing of updates and ensures that the bot can handle a high volume of requests.

To ensure I don’t hit Telegram’s API rate limits, I’ve implemented a rate limiter as well to make sure my bot doesn’t get banned by telegram. And with this structure, I can easily scale my bot by spinning up multiple consumers/workers as needed.

Lessons Learned

Building CryptoSentinel was a learning experience. One of the key lessons I learned from this project is the importance of planning.

I started coding without much thought for the long run, which led to a lot of rewriting. If I were to start over, I would spend more time on software design and architecture.

Having a clear plan and goal in mind can save a lot of time and effort in the long run.

However, I also learned that sometimes, you just have to start building and see where you end up. This approach helped me understand how everything should work together and gave me a clearer vision for the project. It was a process of trial and error, but it was also a process of discovery and learning.

Conclusion

CryptoSentinel is still in its early stages, but I have big ambitions for it.

I envision it as more than just a bot; it’s a comprehensive tool that makes interacting with the crypto market more enjoyable and seamless.

I want to create an amazing tool with a vibrant community that helps traders and investors level up their game.

The bot is designed to be user-friendly, making it accessible to both novice and experienced traders. It provides real-time updates, market sentiment analysis, and insights into copy trader positions, all in one place.

This not only saves time but also provides traders with a holistic view of the market.

In the future, I plan to add more features to CryptoSentinel, such as advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and integration with other trading platforms.

I believe that with the right tools and information, anyone can succeed in the crypto market.

If you want to try out the bot, you can find it on Telegram at @cryptosentinel_bot. And if you’re interested in contributing to the project, feel free to contact me on Discord at AccursedGalaxy#8843.

Building CryptoSentinel has been a challenging but rewarding journey. It’s a testament to the power of technology and the potential of the crypto market. I hope my experiences can inspire others to take on their own coding projects and create something amazing.

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Robin Bohrer
Robin Bohrer

Written by Robin Bohrer

Trading crypto, mastering code. Developing CryptoSentinel, a Telegram bot to empower traders. Let's explore the crypto-coding universe together!