Falling / buy the dipBeginner

Time Loop (DCA)

Buy a fixed amount on a schedule.

Dollar-cost averaging on autopilot: buy the same amount every few hours or days, whatever the price, with an optional take-profit on the whole stack.

Try it — no account neededBuild this loop
Controls: Click or tab into the player. Space plays or pauses; arrow keys seek. On phones, swipe the stage sideways and drag the bar to seek.All figures illustrative, per $100 invested. Part 2 is the day it goes wrong — every strategy has one.

How it works

  1. 01The loop buys your amount as soon as it starts.
  2. 02Then it buys the same amount on a clock — every 1, 4, 12 or 24 hours, or weekly.
  3. 03Your average cost smooths out over time.
  4. 04With a take-profit set, it sells the whole stack at the target and the clock restarts.

Buy $X every N hours. No price triggers — just steady, scheduled buying that smooths your average cost over time. An optional take-profit sells the whole stack when it is up by your target, then the clock restarts.

The math, on paper

5 buys × $50, from $98 down to $86
avg $90.60
Take-profit at average +2.5%
$92.87
Gross on $250 invested
+$6.25
Modeled round-trip fees (0.02%/side)
≈ $0.10
Modeled net profit
≈ +$6.15

Worked numbers assume 0.02% per side (the current Binance.US fallback schedule) and exclude spread and slippage. They are illustrations, not forecasts; fees vary by exchange and tier.

Best for

Long-term accumulation in coins you believe in. Mechanical, hands-off, and free of timing anxiety.

When it struggles

You keep buying through downtrends by design — and averages fall more slowly than prices, so the stack can go well underwater before it recovers.

Good to know

Without a take-profit, a Time Loop accumulates and never sells — fine for long-term holding, but there is no realized profit. A stack cap (by default 10× the order size) limits how much it can buy in total.

What you set

Amount
Dollars per buy
Every
1, 4, 12 or 24 hours, or weekly
Take profit
Optional: sell the stack at +X% on the average
Stack cap
The most it may hold in total
Stop-loss
Optional

Questions

What is dollar-cost averaging (DCA) in crypto?

Dollar-cost averaging means buying a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals instead of all at once. You buy more coin when the price is low and less when it is high, so your average cost is smoothed over time. It does not prevent losses if the coin falls and stays down.

Should a DCA loop take profit?

It depends on why you run it. Without a take-profit it only accumulates — good for long-term holding. With one, it sells the whole stack at your target and starts again, which turns accumulation into cycles and realized results.

How often should a DCA bot buy?

The interval matters less than sticking with it. Shorter intervals smooth the average more finely; longer ones pay fewer fees on smaller amounts. Keep each buy above your exchange’s minimum order size.

Related strategies

Stack Loop
Add on each step down, sell the whole stack.
Grid Ladder
Stack buys on deeper dips, exit the whole stack.
Hold Loop
Buy once, then you decide.
All 12 strategies Try Time Loop (DCA) on made-up prices

Educational content, not financial advice. Crypto prices can fall quickly and any loop can lose money. Risk disclosure.