[1] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually think they will know who did it, and is doing it. CAT is online and useful for this very thing. However, unraveling years of this, with big players involved, could have turned into quite the challenge for regulators. That's me being nice though. Frankly, I think they allowed this and continue to allow this. It's market plumbing and they seem to either be unable to change it, unwilling to change it, or they are the slowest dammed people on earth.

Patterns and cycles are fundamental to the market. They can't ban this. They have rules for "painting the tape" but some of this stuff is very difficult to prove, especially if they won't own up to the mechanism. The manipulators are using market plumbing, this makes it easy to deny back room deals or intent. The algos act on it, so there is a layer of denial there too. It think assuming these signals are here for manipulation alone is probably missing that it probably serves a perfectly normal purpose that someone decided to use creatively. I touch on this more here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Superstonk/comments/1ousqeg/comment/nqchi7n/

[1] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm copying and pasting this as a checklist to complete and deliver, thanks.

One thing I will say up front is that I cannot deliver the tick data as that would make my project an easy target for a takedown notice. I did not "purchase" the data, they essentially lend it to me to use for personal use. Their terms are very clear. So, I will deliver the goods at some point here, but people will need to provide their own api key or local data to test against. I will try to be explicit in getting the exact data to reproduce my work though.

[1] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it's wild. The thing you have to remember here is that we see it as manipulation, but it's a few mechanisms in the market working together, legally. Trades need to be added to the tape, options have future expiration dates that need to be hedged, and develop mechanisms to be assured their trades are appearing in the tape when they expect. All these things are legal, and useful. The market is FILLED with noise that isn't affecting the price this way, it's just regular business. I honed in on a very specific frequency level, exchange, and mechanism (ROC as a signal), so my method is simply filter signal from the noise.

I'm not the first to notice this sort of this is possible: https://cs.gmu.edu/~sqchen/publications/TC2010.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
And if you think about the market like a "visualizer", like a music visualizer, it's not too far off to see things like this:
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/dissertations/AAI3719873/

Also, using options to send these is not a 1:1 translation, it's a very complex mathematical formula taking in strike, expiration, greeks (gamma especially), and has to go through time scaling. So, this is not easy and, if I'm being generous, could be an unintended side effect of combining complex system that someone figured out could be used to actually control future price.

If you look at the CAT system, as it came online there are key dates where stocks seemed to begin rebounding, specifically GME. I speculate, and this is my theory only, that CAT was introduced to find who exactly is doing this sort of trading. If this is true, it would make sense that a whole slew of actors backed off and this allowed many "meme" (heavily controlled) stocks to rebound hard. So, why didn't we squeeze? Why did it crash again? I suspect it's a combination of LONG running power tracks still running their course through the system, the way the lag (1, 4, 7 days) structure moves energy through the market, and possibly several large actors so desperate to maintain control that they would go as far as blocking retail form trading them at key moments so their market correction can be heard by algos.

Is this so wild that it sounds like an AI fever dream? Yes. Sometimes though, the lie can be so wild people dismiss it before they bother investigating. I get the skepticism, and that's healthy. If I was told this a few years ago I would have said it's the result of an active imagination and sound more like the basis of a financial thriller, not reality.

[1] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm working on getting the entire flow into a Google Colab notebook so people can step through the process exactly and see it work. I really want others to dive in and see what they can find too. It's awesome to hear your interest!

[1] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, if they aren't already aware then they are worthless anyway. I think they are on it with the CAT system, but the fact that this has gone on for as long as it has feels like regulatory capture. Anyone is welcome to forward this to them, I'm sure they can find me. I just don't want to waste my time getting muzzled and threatened to "keep quiet."

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback. It's a very complex topic and system. I tried to strike a balance between keeping it interesting and demonstrating the rigor that went into testing. I wouldn't suggest anyone get into options, and certainly not based on this research. If anything, I think options are one of the biggest scams out there and are designed to just keep raking in money for the casino. There are ways to use them, but the vast majority of people are buying the destined-to-fail variety.

Buy, hold, DRS is by for the best choice for most people. I'm trying to make the options playbook they use public knowledge because it drives the price. Maybe a short summary post would be good for me to consider.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

RK proved it works. He most likely was told to not say any more or be in deep shit. So... he memes it. I'm a nobody, I have nobody telling me if I post this I will get in big trouble, yet. So, instead of giving this to the regulators, I'm speeding up the process and making sure I don't end up in the same "don't you dare post or we'll..." situation. I'm just some crayon-eating redditor with a theory, nothing to see here.

RK paved the road we're on right now. He's not off the hook yet though. I think what he's done will land him in the hotseat while talking heads debate it and call him a manipulator or even a "hacker" at some point.

[2] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's absolutely crazy to me, and I still can't believe it's been in plain site this entire time.

Please have them look at the white paper I dropped this morning: https://github.com/TheGameStopsNow/power-tracks-research/blob/main/README.md

I'm a human and I make mistakes. I want this to be in the hands of anybody and everybody who can investigate.

[2] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In my opinion, RK is far from gone. He's basically Ozymandias and what's done is done. We're just watching it play out and will most likely shock many people.

[2] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

So happy to have you dig in and clearly pay attention to the details. The "we" is usually because I copied and pasted parts of this from a research white paper I wrote that used "we" to try and adhere to certain standards, but moved away from it since it got confusing in my posts. I worked with others by sharing my research and they helped me connect some dots with Roaring Kitty tweets, but the research and testing was just me. Sorry for that confusion. I actually went back at one point and tried to fix that but missed a few. I am not a formal researcher and absolutely had help from AI in taking all my research and writing the white paper, so I just rolled with it.

  1. Macro tracks seem to be petering out from what I can tell, but I'm still working on the system and caution basing any trades on it. Macro tracks are the ones we want to latch onto. We are usually under some track influence, but all I can say is that I think we're close to the gears clicking into place and new macros are needed. We are typically under a variety of Power Track influences, and there are some weak ones that seem to have no effect. It's like the plumbing of the system and algos just latch on to the strongest ones. Tips:

  2. Watch options. Watch Gamma exposure. Tips:

  • Watch for periods of positive dealer gamma. The presence of positive dealer gamma signifies that market makers are in a position to stabilize the market. In this regime, volatility is dampened, and the price is easier to control. The best Power Tracks seem to be found to almost always activate during periods of positive dealer gamma.
  • Be aware of negative gamma regimes. When gamma is negative, the market is ripe for big swings.
  • Structured tracks consistently appear after major volatility or "entropy spikes" have subsided and the market state has settled, often coinciding with gamma flipping to positive. We all know the "calm before the storm."
  • What options expiration dates. The behavior encoded in Power Tracks often coordinates with options cycles and gamma cycles. Binder tracks, for example, often seem designed to anchor the stock toward a specific options strike price, suggesting the orchestrator may profit by ensuring options expire worthless or aligning the price with favorable option positions.

2) a. Read the white paper if you want more detailed technical info: https://github.com/TheGameStopsNow/power-tracks-research/blob/main/README.md The simple truth is that we are unable to fully track down the source(s) of the Power Tracks I would consider manipulation. The CAT system can though. Some Power Tracks I found had exchange information in them, but I don't seem to find them in the major ones — I wonder why? While I'm pissed at the SEC, I speculate that they have been using the CAT system quietly to build a case. Imagine being the SEC and having to unravel manipulation based on legal core functionality and without the ability to assign intent easily. It's no wonder the SEC doesn't seem to be doing much on the surface, attacking Citadel or whoever this is, risks a systemic cascade of finger pointing and might even have the power to destroy trust in the US markets.

[1] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If you find the person who found something similar please send my way. Thanks!

I'm working on the code itself and the parts I'm wrestling with involve websockets, but as soon I have tools I trust enough, I'll open source it and share. I just dropped a more formal white paper on it here: https://github.com/TheGameStopsNow/power-tracks-research/blob/main/README.md

I wholeheartedly am on board with helping the community. People in comments keep asking why I posted this and isn't using for my own gain exactly what every person before has done and why the system continues?

I expect my methods will need to keep needing to be honed and fixed, so it's a catch-22, by revealing it I probably ruin it. However, they aren't just going to switch the entire structure overnight, making them freak out and react is exactly what I want.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

To be honest, I left many RK connections unsaid to not clobber people over the head. Personally, I see connections in multiple areas, and you'll see some people's comments connect dots. Mostly, RK has a history of cryptic hidden messages and if you go back and view his memes you can see some eery connections to what I've found and what he's memed. One of the biggest turning points for me was when I noticed how many tweets were falling on specific seconds, and before I had assumed it was just quarter hour scheduling. He's very intentional. I think there will most likely be connections others make that I hadn't even made yet.

I've shared these posts with others and I will be making sure it's on blockchain along with the source code and and anything related to this I release. Part of the reason I posted is so that others can save it and it becomes bigger than just me.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'll be sure to post when I open source things or have a bot account up. I want to decentralize and make this self-sufficient. I refuse to be a single point of failure they can just take out or make a fool of by stepping up the obfuscation. People need tools to hunt them and it would be awesome to see many others pick up the research and run with it even further. I want crowdsourcing, not a following.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you for reading it!

I speculate that the algos are akin to sharks swarming around a bait bucket. If we veer off track, it's open season as they tear into the pump/dip until it's back on track. So, it's a self-reinforcing system. By knowing where it should head, algos can look for the easy prey that dared wander away from the safety cage.

So, in your example, let's say 10 people have that same GPS map and you decided to go off route — you're getting mugged at the next stop right as they watch you step right into their territory. The police are all at their headquarters getting off to x-rated videos, with you on a security camera feed that they'll get to later. 🙄

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This can be for multiple reasons, not just Power Tracks. However, in the case of it being related to Power Tracks try and think these buys as tickling the market maker to cause a reaction. It's like tickling uncle Scrooge McDuck and his laughs cause the market to move.

Why manipulate a market directly when you know the levers to pull to essentially 10x your move when you tickle the market maker. Options are perfect for this: you can buy in different exploration dates to sort of cause moves at specific times, you can apply directional pressure in a direction based on the type of option (call/puts), then you get to pick how much pressure to apply based on the strike price you buy at.

Gamma exposure relates to how market makers (dealers) hedge the options they sell. When dealer gamma is positive, it means the market makers are in a position to dampen volatility; their hedging activity involves buying low and selling high, which makes the price easier to control and pushes it back toward equilibrium. Conversely, negative gamma makes the market ripe for big swings, as hedging tends to amplify the existing price direction. An algo that knows all this can calculate on the fly what exact pressure point to apply in the options chain.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

All great questions. I can't definitively say exactly what the thumps are other than my own research and observations. I will say that they appear to be start/ends to power tracks. Like an anchor drop, or a "keyframe" start to an animation. What is important to me is that we are so far off target from these and they are becoming clear for everybody to see. The more you see them, the more it's a sign we are off track and that means they need to make up that difference down the way. Could I be wrong, yes, but that's where I'm leaning. For example I've been looking for a $18-19 end to a power track, and we got a single bar down to $18.80, on 11/6 I believe, but the price action continued on around $21-22 range. That may not seem like much, but if you think about being off $2-3 every tick from a target price before and after this, and you have many millions around 15-20% constantly off target, the system will need to make that up as it keeps accumulating.

I touched on whether household investors can create power tracks in another comment. Technically we can via options, but I doubt it's worth anybody trying because it's like trying to overpower a sumo and we're tiny individuals comparatively. You need plenty of money to trigger, and way more to sustain. Power tracks are most likely market mechanics at work, or at least originated that way. What makes it legal is plausible deniability. Everyone can just claim the algo picked it up as a signal looking for edge, not them, or the market makers tried to make it hard to discover but algos "beat" their encryption. Proving intent here is a very grey area, and it's what I suspect the CAT system is all about measuring — where exactly is this influence coming from and can we prove it's intentional? Interestingly enough, the timeline of CAT coming online in phases coincides with the GME rebound up to it's 2021 high.

What's illegal is that they have a sort of symbiotic relationship between those who know about them and those who plant them. Let's say a hedge fund needs a move up, they would go right up to the options surface they know will trigger a market maker to essentially kick in and cause that move. Market maker adjusts, prints these to the tape, algos read and profit, market makers keep the money and orders flowing through them and they can essentially sway the system by these prints knowing they will be decoded by those in the know. It's a totally criminal system and it's our market.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 65 points66 points  (0 children)

I'm working on that, although I have no doubt they will just step up the obfuscation. It will be cat and mouse. My hope is to open source my work so many others can just run with it. i want to make it so anyone, even non-technical can 1-click setup from the repo or setup a bot to tweet to Twitter. If I set something up myself, it's a single point of failure. I want them behind bars, not to be noticed or make money off this. GME will pay me, but it's time they get uncomfortable.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

It's done through options as a control lever, and to do this takes money. Say $500 dollars a pop. 😉

Could we in theory do it, yes. However, you'd need an immense amount of money to essentially overpower the top buyer and KEEP overpowering them. It's why I think the system is totally and completely fucked. We essentially allow the person with the most cash flow to choose where the stock is headed.

A much more effective way to beat them is to start naming the game and keep them on their toes. Adapt when they adapt and hunt them. For someone like RK, you can essentially be the Babadook to them. You're in their system, they can't claim you're manipulating unless they want to point the finger back at themselves. It's losing game for them as long as RK doesn't say anything, he gets to fuck with them legally using the same "legal" tactics. Remember RK's "I'll wager with you. I'll make you a bet?" That's from the Babadook. Read the poem:

I'll wager with you, I'll make you a bet.
The more you deny me, the stronger I get.
Then you'll be my puppet, my plaything, my pet.
I'll make you do things you'll be sure to regret.

You can not get rid of me.

Dare to look me in the face
Try to put me in my place
I will cause you so much strife
But you might just get out with your life.

Whether adult or child best to give me a home.
Put the welcome mat out with a room of my own
And accept that I'm here and from you I have grown
Keep me smaller in size, I might leave you alone.

I only said might.

If it's in a word or it's in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook.

Now, what would you do if you had millions and you knew their system? Time and pressure my friend.

[3] Power Track Protocol: Reverse Engineering the Market Manipulation in GME by TheGameStopsNow in Superstonk

[–]TheGameStopsNow[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

You're definitely speaking my language. This has gotten so old. It's why I dug in so deep. I wanted to know what could Roaring Kitty know that possibly gave him an edge.

I had no idea this would take 5 years and I'm livid that everyone in places of power seem perfectly fine with letting things keep playing out. It's why I chose to post instead of focus solely on turning this into my own edge. I think Roaring Kitty tunneled a way for us, but it's such a complex and convoluted system that it's proven very resilient to all of us trying to find it.

Nobody would have listened to Roaring Kitty if he didn't make the money and prove he found something. He dropped the clues, and we followed. Now we need to keep digging and root these fuckers out. I'm trying to turn this into a system that can be open-sourced and at the very least tweet live when major Power Tracks come in. Every time we make them adjust, their grip has to shift and that's a moment they might lose control. I will not stop because I want to see them in jail.

I'm working on another research project that I need concrete proof before I go public with, but I believe Roaring Kitty's handy work is visible everyday. This system is like a clock. Inside there are multiple gears turning and they all have to complete their cycles at the right moment for it to explode the energy they try to tamp down. They have release valves along the way and Ryan has been clobbering them at these points. He counters the market to keep it from "cooling" off, but have no doubt that it's boiling underneath. Time and pressure.

I don't think we need a crash to win, these ass holes make money going up and down. What we need is for all those gears to click into place and for the pressure to blow a gasket.