Workflow

How to Build a Perp DEX Trade Journal Focused on Process Review

A journal can separate research, risk checks, execution notes, and post-trade review. This template is educational research only, not financial advice, not a recommendation, and not a prompt to open positions.

Fields To Complete Before Any Order

The most useful journal entries are written before execution because they capture assumptions before outcome bias appears. Keep research notes separate from execution choices so the journal does not become a signal log.

  • Venue, market, margin mode, collateral type, and source of current margin rules.
  • Reason for reviewing the market, invalidation criteria, and planned review time.
  • Liquidation distance, funding sensitivity, expected fees, and operational failure modes.
  • Wallet, bridge, chain, app, and withdrawal assumptions that could affect execution or exit.

Fields To Update During Exposure

A live entry should track changes to risk inputs, not just price. Funding accrual, collateral movement, margin parameter changes, and app reliability can all alter the original assumptions.

  • Funding payments, fee changes, collateral deposits, withdrawals, or new positions that affect account equity.
  • Protocol announcements, oracle events, sequencer incidents, bridge delays, or app availability issues.
  • Changes between planned and actual execution, including slippage and failed transaction costs.
  • Any manual override, missed review, or rule change that should be examined later.

Post-Trade Review Without Outcome Bias

Post-trade review should focus on whether the process was followed and whether assumptions were reasonable at the time. Profit or loss alone does not prove that a workflow was sound.

  • Which assumptions were accurate, stale, incomplete, or impossible to verify?
  • Did the liquidation, funding, collateral, and operational risk notes match what actually happened?
  • Were any actions driven by urgency, interface friction, missing data, or unclear rules?
  • What should be changed in the checklist before another research note is published or reused?