Connect OpenClaw to NinjaTrader 8
Personal AI assistant framework. CLI + macOS menubar + chat platforms + Skills system.
OpenClaw calling CrossTrade MCP tools against a live NinjaTrader 8 account. Run this yourself in 5 minutes →
Why pair OpenClaw with CrossTrade MCP
OpenClaw is "personal AI assistant" rather than "coding agent." Build small Skills that batch CrossTrade tool calls into one command (`openclaw morning-brief` triggers a full account inspection). Reach it from your phone via iMessage.
openclaw mcp set <name> <json>; stored in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json What this combination unlocks
Skills
Save routines like "morning-brief" once; trigger from any platform.
macOS menubar
Quick chat without opening a browser.
The connection chain
OpenClaw │ OAuth-authorized tool call ▼ CrossTrade hosted MCP server (https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp) │ ▼ CrossTrade Add-On running inside NT8 on your PC │ ▼ NinjaTrader 8
One URL, one consent screen, one read-only first prompt. The MCP server is hosted by CrossTrade; you don't run anything beyond NT8 + the CrossTrade Add-On.
Ready to set up OpenClaw?
The full step-by-step setup lives on a dedicated page. Verified against OpenClaw's current docs.
Copy-paste prompts that work today
Also consider
Common questions
Is OpenClaw a good fit for trading?
Yes for traders who want a personal AI assistant reachable from CLI, macOS menubar, and chat platforms (iMessage, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, WhatsApp). OpenClaw's Skills system lets you save common queries ("morning brief") and trigger them from anywhere.
Do I really need an assistant like OpenClaw?
Honestly, probably not for most traders. Use OpenClaw if you want trading data reachable from your phone via iMessage, or if you want to build small reusable Skills (like "daily P&L report") triggerable from any surface. For desktop-only interactive use, Claude Desktop or Cursor are simpler.
OpenClaw vs Hermes?
Both are self-hosted personal AI assistants with chat-platform integrations. OpenClaw is more macOS-focused (menubar app) with a Skills system. Hermes is more server-focused (autonomous, persistent memory) with broader chat-platform support. Try both if this category appeals; pick by surface preference.
Cost?
Free, MIT-licensed open source. You pay for the LLM provider key (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.). Run locally on your machine — no server hosting needed (unlike Hermes, which is server-resident).
Mac, Windows, and Linux?
All three via npm install -g openclaw@latest. Node 24 recommended (22.19+ minimum). The macOS menubar app is macOS-only; CLI works everywhere.
Does OpenClaw support OAuth for remote MCP?
Not natively. OpenClaw's MCP CLI is bearer-only — paste a token in the headers field of the JSON config. Get the token via another OAuth-capable client (Claude Desktop, Cursor) and copy from your CrossTrade AI Clients page.
How do Skills work for trading?
Run openclaw skill create morning-brief, paste a prompt template, and trigger from anywhere with openclaw morning-brief. Skills can chain multiple CrossTrade tool calls (ListAccounts → GetJournalTrades → GetWatermarks → summarize). Useful for daily routines.
Multi-user support?
OpenClaw is single-operator by design (one principal per install). For multi-user deployments where each trader has their own CrossTrade account, use LibreChat (per-user OAuth) instead.
Connect OpenClaw to NinjaTrader 8 in 5 minutes
Free Sim101 walkthrough. Read-only first. Upgrade scope only when a real workflow needs it.
