Helix Protocol 7 v2

Helix Protocol 7 - Cascade Protection Update
Overview
This update adds Cascade Protection to Helix Protocol 7, a dual-layer defense system designed to prevent capital destruction during violent market crashes and cascading liquidation events. Mean reversion strategies are vulnerable to "catching falling knives" - buying repeatedly into a crash that keeps crashing. These protections intelligently pause buying during extreme volatility while preserving the ability to capture true bottom entries.

New Features
🛡️ Protection 1: BBWP Volatility Freeze
What it does: Monitors Bollinger Band Width Percentile (BBWP) to detect extreme volatility spikes. When BBWP exceeds the threshold (default 92%), ALL buy signals are frozen until volatility subsides.
Why it matters: During cascading liquidations (like BTC dropping from $92K to $84K in hours), BBWP spikes to extreme levels. These are precisely the moments when mean reversion buys are most dangerous. The freeze prevents buying during the chaos, then automatically unlocks when BBWP drops - allowing you to catch the actual bottom rather than averaging into a falling knife.
Settings:

BBWP Length: 7 (matches The_Caretaker's indicator)
BBWP Lookback: 100 (matches The_Caretaker's indicator)
BBWP Freeze Level: 92% (adjustable)

🛡️ Protection 2: Consecutive Buy Counter
What it does: Tracks how many buy signals have fired without an intervening sell. After reaching the maximum (default 3), additional buys are blocked until a sell signal fires and resets the counter.
Why it matters: Even after BBWP drops, a bounce might fail and continue lower. The counter ensures you can't infinitely average down into a position. It caps your exposure at 3 entries, preserving capital for better opportunities.
Settings:

Max Consecutive Buys: 3 (adjustable)


How The Protections Work Together
Buy Condition Triggered
↓
BBWP ≤ 92%? ──NO──→ ❌ BUY BLOCKED (Volatility Freeze)
↓ YES
Counter < 3? ──NO──→ ❌ BUY BLOCKED (Max Buys Reached)
↓ YES
✅ BUY SIGNAL FIRES
Counter increments (1/3 → 2/3 → 3/3)

Sell Signal Fires
↓
Counter resets to 0/3
Key Design Decision: BBWP freeze is absolute - even "EXTREME" band penetration signals cannot bypass it. This prevents the false confidence of "it's so oversold, it MUST bounce" during true market panics.
Sells are never affected by cascade protection. You always want the ability to exit positions and lock in profits during volatile rallies.

Panel Display
Two new rows in the info panel show real-time protection status:
RowExampleMeaningBBWP 87.3%OK (green)Buys allowedBBWP 94.2%FROZEN (red)Buys blockedBuy Counter2/3 (green)2 buys fired, 1 remainingBuy Counter3/3 (red)Max reached, buys blocked
Buy signal labels now display the counter: BUY: $86,360.43 CAPITULATION [2/3]

New Alerts

⚠️ BBWP Freeze Activated: "CASCADE PROTECTION: BBWP hit 94.2% - Buys FROZEN"
⚠️ Max Buys Reached: "CASCADE PROTECTION: Max 3 consecutive buys reached - Buys FROZEN"
✅ BBWP Unlocked: "CASCADE PROTECTION: BBWP dropped to 88.1% - Buys UNLOCKED"

Alert JSON now includes consec_buys and bbwp fields for bot logging.

Real-World Performance
November 30 - December 1, 2025 BTC Cascade ($92K → $84K):
Without ProtectionWith Protection8+ buys during crash0 buys during crashAveraged down from $92KWaited for BBWP to dropDeep unrealized loss3 buys near $85-87K bottomCapital depletedCapital preserved
The protection blocked all panic buys during the BBWP >92% spike, then allowed exactly 3 well-timed entries after volatility subsided - capturing the actual bottom instead of the falling knife.

Configuration Recommendations
Market ConditionBBWP FreezeMax BuysStandard (default)92%3Conservative88%2Aggressive95%4
Lower BBWP threshold = More protection, may miss some entries
Higher Max Buys = More averaging allowed, higher risk

Compatibility

Bot Integration: No changes required. Protection logic executes before alerts fire.
Existing Alerts: Must delete and recreate alerts after updating indicator.
The_Caretaker's BBWP: Settings matched to ensure visual consistency between indicators.


Credits
BBWP concept and implementation inspired by The_Caretaker's Bollinger Band Width Percentile indicator. Cascade protection logic developed through analysis of November 2025 BTC market crashes.