Introduction

Welcome to TraderHack 2022

Get ready to code against the clock in Optiver’s first virtual 24-hour hackathon! TraderHack kicks off on 2 April 2022 and is open to STEM students and recent graduates from US, EU and UK universities. Prepare to put your programming skills to the test and dive into the world of algorithmic trading.

Your team will race to develop an autotrader that will run on our simulated exchange and go head-to-head against your competitors. The team (or individual) with the best performing algorithm will qualify for the grand prize of €10,000. Do you have what it takes to perform under the pressure of the markets?

Your challenge

The task

Your challenge is simple: build the best trading algorithm against your competitors.

After 24-hours optimising and building your Python algorithm, the Autotrader will be put to the test against other teams on our virtual exchange simulation, Optibook. To place in the top three winning teams, we’ll take into account overall trading strategy, risk management as well as code structure and creativity.

During the day, Optiver will also host additional coding workshops where you’ll get a chance to learn from professionals and win even more prizes!

The day will be fully virtual, taking place on Discord, Twitch and Zoom.

What to consider

Entry requirements

To enter you must either be a current student or have graduated within the last two years from a university in the EU, US or UK. You’ll also need some knowledge of Python to be able to compete. If you’re under 18 or previously worked at a market making or electronic trading company, you’re unfortunately not eligible to participate.

You can compete individually or with a team of up to five participants. If you would like to join forces but don’t have a teammate, you can join our Discord server to find someone to collaborate with! You will receive an email with the Discord server link once you’ve been accepted into the competition. When registering, you must use the same team name to be recognised as one team.

Please note: There are limited spots available.

For questions, please contact us.

Winners

The Prizes

1st prize

€10.000 EUR

*$11.300 USD

2nd prize

€5.000 EUR

*$5.700 USD

3rd prize

€3.000 EUR

*$3.400 USD
Mark you calendar

The Schedule

Amsterdam time (CEST)
Chicago time (CST)
subheader
Expertise

Meet the trainers

Amsterdam office
Julian Brendl
Software Engineer
35
Meet our trainers

Meet Julian

Julian is a software engineer at Optiver. He started as an intern in 2018 and transitioned to full-time later that year. He has been a part of both our data engineering and low-latency trading teams. He has a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the KIT in Germany and helped to build the Optibook virtual trading platform. He likes to spend his free time experimenting with various side projects related to programming.

Chicago office
Kristen Viola
Software Engineer
35
Meet our trainers

Meet Kristen

Kristen is a software engineer on the Global Compliance team at Optiver. She interned in 2019 and returned full time after graduating with a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020. In her free time, she likes to cook, explore new restaurants and rollerblade along the Chicago lakefront.

Amsterdam office
Nils Voss
Software Engineer
35
Meet our trainers

Meet Nils

Nils is a software engineer at Optiver and develops AutoTraders and market links. Before joining, he worked on using FPGAs in different high-performance computing applications in research, defence and finance. Nils studied Electrical Engineering at RWTH Aachen and Computing at Imperial College London. Over the course of 10 years, he has also tried to perfect the art of pizza making.

Chicago office
Max Huddleston
Software Engineer
35
Meet our trainers

Meet Max

Max is a software engineer on the Infrastructure and Controls team at Optiver. He joined Optiver shortly after graduating with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2020. In his free time, he likes to watch American football, travel and attempt to cook various recipes he finds on YouTube.

Traderhack FAQ

Frequently asked
questions

What is TraderHack?

TraderHack is a 24-hour hackathon where you and your team will race to build and optimize a trading algorithm, or AutoTrader. Once the 24 hours are up, your algorithm will be put to the test against your competitors on Optiver’s simulated exchange.

When and where is this hackaton?

TraderHack takes place over the weekend – between 2nd and 3rd April, 2022. The challenge will be fully virtual, taking place on Discord, Twitch and Zoom. You’ll receive more information once you’ve been accepted to take part.

What are the requirements to compete?

To enter you must either be a current student or have graduated within the last two years from a university in the EU, US or UK. You’ll also need some knowledge of Python to be able to compete. If you’re under 18 years of age or previously worked at a market making or electronic trading company, you’re unfortunately not eligible to participate.

What programming languages are supported?

You can write your algorithm in Python 3 and above (Python 2 is not supported).

Do I need to have trading knowledge to participate?

The challenge is designed to introduce you to the world of algorithmic trading. No prior trading knowledge of trading is required to compete.

Do I need a team to compete?

No. You are welcome to compete individually. However, we recommend working within a team.

I prefer to compete in a team, but I don’t have a teammate. What can I do?

If you don’t have a teammate, we encourage you to join our Discord server to find interested participants. You will get an email with the link to join once you’ve been accepted to participate.