max positions caps how many open trades a single strategy can have at once. Default is 1, which is what most strategies want.
Shape
"risk_management": {
"max_positions": 1
}When to set higher
- Multi-leg strategies that scale into a position across multiple bars (each leg is a separate trade record).
- Hedged structures where the engine opens both sides temporarily (rare on LucraX today).
Why most strategies use 1
- Account-level risk control is easier when each strategy holds at most one position.
- Pyramiding entries rarely improve expected return per dollar of risk in our backtests.
- Engine simplicity: with one position, exit logic is unambiguous.
Pitfalls
- Exchange position-mode interaction: BitMEX hedge mode would let two positions (long + short) coexist on the same symbol. LucraX refuses hedge-mode accounts at verify-credential time, so this scenario can't arise.