Configuration

Market Lab can load script and execution settings from a TOML file. Configuration contains only non-secret values. Provider credentials are stored separately in the operating system keychain.

Discovery

Pass an exact file:

mlab script backtest --config ./marketlab.toml

When --config is omitted, Market Lab uses ./marketlab.toml if it exists. It does not search parent directories or alternate filenames.

Current TOML support covers:

• script run
• script backtest
• trade long
• trade short

Precedence

Values resolve in this order:

built-in defaults < marketlab.toml < CLI flags

CLI values always win:

mlab script backtest --config marketlab.toml --symbol BTC/USDT --param leverage=10

Only symbol and the script's leverage parameter are changed by this command.

File Shape

version = 1

[market]
symbol = "BTC/USDT"

[output]
format = "terminal"
verbose = false

[sources."candles@binancef@mmt"]
timeframe = 60

[sources."orderbook@bulk"]
depth = 20

[script]
path = "./scripts/orderflow.js"
# Optional live runtime in seconds. Omit to run forever.
duration = 3600

[script.params]
fast = 20
slow = 50
margin = 1000
max_spread_bps = 3

[execution]
venue = "bulk"

[backtest]
from = 1780497965372
to = 1780618018000

Source tables become source flags:

[sources."vd@hyperliquid@mmt"]
timeframe = 60
bucket = 1

is equivalent to:

--source vd@hyperliquid@mmt:timeframe=60,bucket=1

Source selectors are quoted TOML table names. MMT selectors contain the exchange and provider; BULK selectors use @bulk:

[market]
symbol = "BTC/USDT"

[sources."candles@okx@mmt"]
timeframe = 60

[sources."orderbook@bulk"]
depth = 20

Script source tables must use exact selectors. Script configuration has no global market.provider or market.exchange; this is what allows one script to combine several MMT exchanges with BULK.

Script parameter tables become parameter flags:

[script.params]
fast = 20
slow = 50

is equivalent to:

--param fast=20 --param slow=50

Script paths in TOML are resolved relative to the TOML file. Paths passed directly on the command line are resolved relative to the current shell directory.

For script run, [script].duration is the maximum live runtime in seconds and is equivalent to --duration. Omit it for an unlimited job. It is ignored by script backtest, whose range is controlled by [backtest].from and [backtest].to.

For script run, [execution].venue = "bulk" is equivalent to --venue bulk and explicitly enables ctx.trade and ctx.cancel. Omit the table for analysis-only jobs. Script order size, margin, leverage, and protection still come from each ctx.trade request, not from the top-level execution table.

Execution Configuration

Execution uses a focused TOML shape:

version = 1

[market]
symbol = "BTC/USDT"

[execution]
venue = "bulk"
margin = 100
order_type = "market"
leverage = 5
sl = 63000
tp = 69000
reduce_only = false
dry_run = true
yes = false

[output]
format = "terminal"

Run the configured plan:

mlab trade long --config ./marketlab.toml

Use exactly one of size or margin in [execution]. Margin is multiplied by leverage to produce exposure. sl and tp are optional native on-fill protection prices. Limit orders can also set price and tif:

[execution]
venue = "bulk"
size = 0.001
order_type = "limit"
price = 65000
tif = "alo"
leverage = 3
dry_run = true

CLI values override the file without changing it:

mlab trade long --config ./marketlab.toml --margin 250 --leverage 2

Remove dry_run = true only after reviewing the plan and validation result. Live terminal execution asks for confirmation; structured live output requires --yes.

Credentials

Never add API keys, wallet private keys, or agent credentials to marketlab.toml.

Store the MMT key securely:

mlab auth set mmt

Inspect credential status without exposing the key:

mlab auth status

Remove it:

mlab auth remove mmt

For CI and non-interactive environments, MMT_API_KEY overrides the OS keychain:

MMT_API_KEY=your_key mlab health --provider mmt

The API key is never read from the project TOML file.

Authorize a BULK agent wallet separately:

mlab auth set bulk

Market Lab stores the generated agent credential in the operating system keychain. The main wallet private key is requested only through a hidden prompt when authorizing or revoking the agent and is never loaded from TOML. Live signing remains inside mlabd.

See Execution for order validation, confirmation rules, and daemon behavior.