HSBC and the Standard Chartered-backed Anchorpoint Financial have been granted Hong Kong’s first stablecoin issuer licenses.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released the names of the successful applicants on Friday, signaling the start of a new era for regulated digital assets in the region. 

Among the approved firms is HSBC, a dominant local note-issuing bank, alongside Anchorpoint Financial, which operates as a joint venture between Standard Chartered, Animoca Brands, and Hong Kong Telecommunications.

Oversight and  enforcement standards 

These approvals establish the first group of participants under a licensing regime that officially launched on Aug. 1, 2025.

Under this regime, stablecoin issuers are required to obtain an HKMA license by meeting specific rules, including those for reserve backing and guaranteed redemption paths for users. Other obligations include following strict governance protocols and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures to remain in good standing.

The Legislation also grants the regulator the authority to investigate potential violations and police the sector, including the authority to levy fines, suspend operations, or revoke licenses entirely if an issuer fails to meet its legal obligations.

The rollout follows a period of administrative delays that saw the regulator miss its original goals for the year. Back in February, HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue stated that a “very small number of issuers” would be licensed by March. 

While that deadline passed without an announcement, the regulator stated on April 1 that it was actively moving the process forward to finalize the first batch of applicants.

Analysts had largely foreseen this outcome following mid-March reports that highlighted HSBC and the Standard Chartered-backed venture as the most likely recipients of the licenses.

AI stock trading bots gain traction in 2026 as beginners seek simple, automated ways to enter financial markets.

As the financial markets continue to evolve, more beginners are turning to AI-powered tools to automate their stock trading. In 2026, AI stock trading bots are increasingly accessible, providing users with an easy, hands-off way to enter the market. For those who are beginners, looking to get started with AI stock trading, this guide will help them navigate the best free options available in 2026.

Whether someone is looking for a simple tool to automate their trades or seeking advanced features to fine-tune their strategies, the right AI trading bot can make all the difference. Let’s explore the top 10 free AI stock trading bots that are perfect for beginners in 2026.

What are AI stock trading bots?

AI stock trading bots are automated programs that use artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze market data, execute trades, and manage investments. These bots are designed to optimize trading strategies with minimal effort, making them perfect for beginners who want to avoid the complexity of manual trading.

In 2026, these bots offer advanced features like machine learning, sentiment analysis, and real-time market monitoring, all without requiring any coding skills. Many of these bots operate on a subscription-free basis, offering a risk-free introduction to the world of automated stock trading.

Top 10 free AI stock trading bots for beginners in 2026

1. MoneyFlare

Overview:
MoneyFlare is a sophisticated yet beginner-friendly AI trading platform that offers fully automated stock and crypto trading. Designed for individuals with no coding or technical experience, MoneyFlare leverages advanced AI algorithms to execute trades and manage investments 24/7.

Key Features:

• One-Click Activation: Start trading instantly with minimal setup.
• Pre-Built Quant Strategies: Choose from a variety of expert-crafted strategies tailored to maximize returns.
• 24/7 Automated Trading: Let the AI handle trades at any time, ensuring an opportunity is never missed.
• Risk Management Tools: Built-in stop-loss, take-profit, and exposure limits to minimize potential losses.

Best for:
Complete beginners who want a hands-off trading experience, as well as those looking for a safe, AI-driven approach to generating passive income with minimal effort.

Click to register and receive a free $10 real reward and $50 trial credit!

2. 3Commas

Overview:
3Commas offers an intuitive and flexible trading environment suitable for both beginners and advanced traders. It allows users to automate their trades using a variety of strategies, such as Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) and grid trading.

Key Features:

• Smart Trade Terminal: Execute trades with real-time analysis and risk management tools.
• Automated Portfolio Management: Rebalance and optimize a portfolio automatically.
• Multi-Exchange Support: Trade across multiple platforms like Binance, Kraken, and others, from one interface.
• Backtesting: Test strategies before going live.

Best for:
Beginners who want to start simple but also value the potential to scale their trading strategies as they gain experience.

3. Cryptohopper

Overview:
Cryptohopper is a cloud-based AI bot that combines automation with customization, making it ideal for both beginners and more experienced traders. Trades can ebe automated based on predefined strategies or real-time market signals.

Key Features:

• Strategy Marketplace: Choose from a wide range of pre-built strategies created by top traders.
• Social Trading: Follow expert traders and mirror their strategies in real time.
• Backtesting & Paper Trading: Test strategies risk-free before using real funds.

Best For:
Beginners looking for flexibility, with the option to gradually explore advanced features as they learn.

4. Pionex

Overview:
Pionex is an easy-to-use AI trading bot that offers over 16 different bots, including grid trading and arbitrage bots. It’s perfect for beginners who want to start automated trading without having to navigate complex features.

Key Features:

• Low Fees: One of the most cost-effective platforms, with trading fees as low as 0.05%.
• Pre-Built Strategies: Get started quickly with simple, effective strategies like grid trading and arbitrage.
• Automated Trading: Operate trades on autopilot 24/7.

Best For:
Beginners who want an all-in-one solution that simplifies automated trading with minimal setup and fees.

5. Zignaly

Overview:
Zignaly is a fully automated trading platform designed for those who want to follow expert traders or signal providers. It offers social trading and copy trading features, allowing beginners to learn from others while automating their own trades.

Key Features:

• Copy Trading: Automatically copy the strategies of top traders in real-time.
• Cloud-Based Automation: Run the bot seamlessly from the cloud without any setup hassles.
• Risk Management Tools: Protect investments with built-in risk controls.

Best For:
Beginners who prefer to follow professional traders’ strategies while automating their own trades with minimal input.

6. Autonio

Overview:
Autonio is a decentralized trading bot platform that allows users to trade across multiple assets using machine learning and AI. It’s ideal for beginners who want a hands-on approach to customizing their strategies with the power of AI.

Key Features:

• Machine Learning Algorithms: AI-powered trading that adapts to market conditions.
• Backtesting & Optimization: Test and refine strategies using historical data.
• Multi-Asset Support: Trade a variety of assets beyond just stocks and crypto.

Best For:
Beginners who want to dive deeper into customizable trading strategies while leveraging AI for decision-making.

7. HaasOnline

Overview:
HaasOnline offers a set of powerful, free trading bots that are ideal for beginners looking to explore automated trading. The platform allows full customization of trading strategies, providing more control over how trades are executed.

Key Features:

• Advanced Risk Management: Use features like stop-loss, trailing stop, and take-profit for safer trading.
• Multi-Exchange Support: Connect with several exchanges for a broader trading experience.
• Backtesting: Evaluate strategies and refine them before going live.

Best For:
Beginners who may want to start simple but gradually explore more complex features as they gain confidence.

8. Shrimpy

Overview:

Shrimpy offers a portfolio management tool with automated rebalancing and social trading. This bot is perfect for beginners who want to follow the strategies of top traders while managing their portfolios effortlessly.

Key Features:

• Portfolio Rebalancing: Keep investments aligned with goals by automating portfolio rebalancing.
• Social Trading: Copy the strategies of top traders and implement them automatically.
• Real-Time Performance Tracking: Track investments’ performance in real time.

Best For:
Beginners who want a simple and effective way to manage their portfolios with minimal effort.

9. Quadency

Overview:
Quadency is a versatile platform that offers AI-powered trading bots and an easy-to-use interface. It allows users to automate their trades and backtest strategies without needing any technical knowledge.

Key Features:

• Strategy Automation: Implement and execute various strategies with ease.
• Real-Time Data and Analytics: Make informed trading decisions based on real-time market data.
• Backtesting: Test strategies with historical data to ensure their effectiveness.

Best For:
Beginners who want a hassle-free, automated trading experience with powerful tools to track performance.

10. Bitsgap

Overview:
Bitsgap is an integrated trading platform that supports multiple exchanges and offers automated trading bots, including arbitrage and grid bots. It’s ideal for beginners looking to automate their trades across different platforms.

Key Features:

• Arbitrage Trading: Take advantage of price discrepancies across exchanges to maximize profits.
• Backtesting: Test strategies risk-free before live trading.
• Multi-Exchange Support: Trade across multiple exchanges from one platform.

Best For:
Beginners who want to explore more advanced features, such as arbitrage, without the complexity of setting up manual trades.

Why should beginners use AI stock trading bots?

For beginners, AI stock trading bots offer several advantages:

• Ease of Use: Most bots are designed to be user-friendly, with intuitive interfaces that don’t require prior trading experience.
• Automation: They run 24/7, meaning users can take advantage of market opportunities even while they sleep.
• Data-Driven Decisions: AI bots analyze vast amounts of market data, ensuring that trades are based on solid information rather than emotions.
• Risk Management: Many bots come with built-in risk management tools to protect investments.

How to get started with AI stock trading bots

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to getting started for those who are new to AI stock trading bots:

1. Choose the Right Bot: Select one of the bots listed above that suits a particular trading style and preferences.
2. Set Up an Account: Most bots require users to create an account on their platform and link it to their brokerage or exchange account.
3. Customize Settings: While some bots come with preset strategies, users can often adjust risk levels, trading pairs, and other parameters to suit their preferences.
4. Monitor and Optimize: Once the bot is running, its performance can be monitored, and adjustments can be made if necessary. Some bots offer analytics to help track profitability.

Things to consider before using AI stock trading bots

While AI stock trading bots offer great advantages, they are not foolproof. Here are a few things to consider:

• Market Risk: The stock market can be volatile, and even AI systems can make losses in unpredictable market conditions.
• Initial Setup: Some bots may require initial configuration or a learning curve, even if they’re beginner-friendly.
• Fees: Some bots are free, but others may charge a fee for premium features. Be sure to check the cost structure before getting started.

Tips to avoid being scammed in AI stock trading

As AI stock trading becomes more popular, many investors are turning to automated trading systems to manage their investments. However, there are also fraudulent platforms and scams in the market, so it is crucial to ensure that protection comes first. Below are some effective tips to help traders avoid being scammed while using AI stock trading platforms:

1. Choose a reputable platform

Ensure a well-known platform with positive reviews is selected. Users can verify the platform’s credibility by researching user feedback, independent reviews, and whether the platform is regulated by financial authorities (such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] or the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority [FCA]). Legitimate platforms will disclose their registration information and be under the supervision of regulatory bodies, so avoid platforms with low transparency.

2. Avoid unrealistic high-return promises

Any platform that promises “guaranteed profits” or fixed high returns should raise suspicion. No investment can guarantee consistent returns, especially in the volatile stock market. Legitimate platforms typically include risk warnings in their terms of service and disclaimers, advising users of the potential for losses. Be wary of platforms that make unrealistic promises of high returns or quick profits.

3. Ensure platform security

When selecting a platform, make sure it offers strong data encryption to protect the account and funds. Legitimate platforms typically use SSL encryption protocols to secure data transmission, and they provide two-factor authentication (2FA) to enhance account security. This ensures that even if someone steals a password, they won’t be able to access the account easily. Verify that the platform follows industry-standard security measures to prevent hacking or data breaches.

4. Avoid following trading signals from unverified sources

Avoid blindly following trading signals or advice from unverified sources. Choose platforms where the signal sources are clearly identified and ensure these signals come from reputable professionals or verified traders. Social trading platforms (such as Zignaly) allow users to follow other successful traders’ strategies, but make sure these strategies are transparent and publicly available. Do not make decisions based solely on short-term profit claims.

5. Start with small investments, don’t invest all funds at once

Before fully trusting a platform, it’s best to start with small, test investments. This allows the user to assess the platform’s performance and the effectiveness of its AI strategies with minimal risk. Diversify investments to reduce risk and avoid putting all the funds into one platform or strategy.

6. Verify AI strategy transparency

Make sure the platform can explain how its AI algorithms work and the strategies used for trading. If a platform keeps its algorithms and operations highly secret or fails to provide enough transparent information, it’s best to avoid using that platform. Reputable platforms usually explain how their AI analyzes the market, makes trading decisions, and provides clear risk management tools.

7. Regularly check account and trading activities

Regularly monitor a trading account to ensure there are no unusual transactions or unauthorized fund transfers. Most platforms offer real-time trade alerts to help track trading activities. Set up alerts for important transactions to receive immediate notification and can take action if needed.

8. Be cautious about free platforms

Although many platforms offer free trials, completely free platforms often come with hidden fees or security risks. Be sure to understand the platform’s fee structure and whether there are any extra charges before getting started. Some scam platforms lure users with “free” services, but later obtain their funds or personal information through other means.

Conclusion

In 2026, AI stock trading bots are the perfect solution for beginners looking to automate their trading strategies and earn passive income. With the bots listed in this guide, anyone can start trading without needing to be a seasoned investor or a coding expert. Whether they want simplicity, advanced features, or a combination of both, these bots can help them navigate the stock market with ease.

Always keep in mind that while AI trading bots are powerful tools, they come with risks. It’s important to monitor trades, set appropriate risk management tools, and only invest what someone can afford to lose.

By choosing the right AI bot and following best practices, traders can set themselves up for success in the world of stock trading.

The US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has reportedly met with major American bank leaders this week as officials assessed potential cyber threats that Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence system poses.

According to reports, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brought together senior executives at the department’s Washington headquarters, with Jerome Powell also said to be present. The meeting followed the unveiling of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model, which the company has described as posing “unprecedented” cybersecurity risks.

Concerns surrounding the model intensified after its code was leaked earlier this month. In a subsequent blog post, Anthropic said advanced AI systems had surpassed “all but the most skilled humans at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities,” warning that the consequences for economies, public safety, and national security “could be severe.”

The gathering took place while bank executives were already in Washington for an industry event, with invitations largely extended to leaders of systemically important institutions. Regulators consider these banks critical to financial stability, meaning disruptions to their operations could have far-reaching consequences.

Attendees reportedly included David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Ted Pick of Morgan Stanley, and Charlie Scharf of Wells Fargo. Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase was invited but did not attend.

In his annual shareholder letter released this week, Dimon cautioned that cybersecurity “remains one of our biggest risks,” adding that artificial intelligence “will almost surely make this risk worse.”

Anthropic said its yet-to-be-released Mythos model has already identified thousands of vulnerabilities across software and widely used applications. As a result, access to the system has been limited to a small group of companies, including Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.

The move marks the first time the company has restricted a product rollout. Select infrastructure and technology groups, such as Cisco and Broadcom, have also been granted access, along with the Linux Foundation.

The developments come as fears grow that malicious actors could use advanced AI tools to uncover passwords or break encryption systems designed to protect sensitive data.

Anthropic said some of the flaws identified by Mythos date back as far as 27 years and had not been detected by developers or security monitors before the AI system surfaced them.

The Treasury meeting also follows a recent decision by the US government to classify Anthropic as a potential supply chain risk, a designation the company is currently challenging in court.

Despite the ongoing regulatory scrutiny and a supply chain risk designation from the U.S. Department of Defense, Anthropic has reported unprecedented financial momentum.

In a recent blog post released on April 6, the company said its annualized revenue run rate exceeded $30 billion as of early April 2026, more than tripling from roughly $9 billion at the end of 2025. 

Part of that growth has been driven by new compute partnerships with Google and Broadcom, highlighting rising demand for large-scale AI infrastructure. This agreement secures multiple gigawatts of next-generation TPU capacity to power frontier Claude models through 2027 and beyond. 

Its agentic coding platform, Claude Code, has emerged as a key contributor, generating more than $2.5 billion in run-rate revenue as of February.

Weekly active users on the platform have also doubled since the start of the year, pointing to rapid adoption of AI-driven development tools as the company shifts its focus toward high-value enterprise agents.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has unveiled the first members of its new innovation task force as the agency continues its push to provide greater clarity for the crypto market.

The Innovation Task Force was initially launched by CFTC Chairman Mike Selig on March 24, who appointed Michael Passalacqua as the leader of the group. Passalacqua is currently the senior advisor to Selig at the CFTC.

In an announcement Friday, the CFTC said that Passalacqua will be joined by a list of five initial members including Hank Balaban, a former Latham & Watkins crypto lawyer; Sam Canavos, an ex-Patomak crypto and prediction markets advisor; Mark Fajfar, a CFTC legal veteran; Eugene Gonzalez IV, an ex-Sidley blockchain lawyer; and Dina Moussa, a CFTC Market Participants Division special counsel.

“The Innovation Task Force brings together a leading team that exhibits deep expertise and an enthusiastic commitment to deliver clear rules of the road for American innovators,” Selig said.

The move is part of a broader push from both the CFTC and Securities and Exchange Commission to provide regulatory clarity for the digital asset sector under the direction of the Donald Trump administration.

Source: Michael Passalacqua

CFTC pushing for clarity as major bill stalls

On Friday, Selig also announced the CFTC’s “innovation tracker,” which highlights all the work done under Selig to help “advance regulatory clarity, market integrity, and responsible technological progress.”

The website lists three key innovation areas the agency is focused on, including crypto and blockchain, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and contracts and prediction markets.

Related: Prediction market users await Artemis II mission splashdown

The CFTC in particular could be set to be the main overseer of the industry, with the SEC proposing in mid-March that the agency doesn’t see most crypto assets falling under its jurisdiction as securities.

However, the certainty of both agencies’ roles is still largely dependent on whether the Clarity Act passes through the upper levels of government and becomes enshrined as law — something SEC Chair Paul Atkins called for via X on Thursday.

The SEC and CFTC are “ready to implement the CLARITY Act,” he said, adding: “It’s time for Congress to future-proof against rogue regulators and advance comprehensive market structure legislation to President Trump’s desk.”

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