# Curator Selection

Not every trading team that applies to Neutral Trade becomes a curator. This page explains the criteria Neutral Trade uses to evaluate prospective curators, so you can understand the standard a team has met before their strategy appears on the platform.

## What Neutral Trade looks for

Curators are evaluated across four dimensions, each weighted by importance.&#x20;

### Strategy & track record

This is the most heavily weighted dimension. Neutral Trade requires a verified, auditable performance history.

**On Sharpe ratio:** Strategies with an exceptional decorrelation profile, i.e., returns that are genuinely independent of existing Neutral Strategy Vaults may qualify with a lower Sharpe ratio than the standard threshold. Decorrelation is assessed as part of the overall portfolio fit evaluation.

Track record must be verifiable through at least one of: exchange API data, third-party audit, or a recognised portfolio tracking platform. Historical trade logs with timestamps are required. Strategies with unverifiable performance histories are not considered.

### Risk management

Neutral Trade evaluates whether the curator has defined, documented risk controls, not just whether they manage risk informally.

Key criteria assessed:

* **Maximum leverage** — clearly defined limits, preferred at or below 3×
* **Daily loss limits** — a hard stop must be defined
* **Drawdown response** — documented procedures for de-risking during drawdown periods
* **Position concentration** — single-asset exposure limits defined, preferred below 30%

### Team & operations

Neutral Trade assesses the team's background, depth, and operational readiness. Single-operator setups are not automatically disqualified, but key-person risk is factored into the score and influences initial allocation sizing.

Curators must be able to provide read-only API access, supply live or regular performance reports, and demonstrate clear internal procedures for operations and decision-making.

### Automatic decline criteria

Regardless of scores in other dimensions, any of the following results in immediate rejection:

* Inability to verify track record
* History of significant losses without credible explanation
* Refusal to provide standard documentation
* Regulatory issues or sanctions exposure
* Inconsistencies between reported and verified performance data


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