How Copytrading Works on Compass

Published by Compass | June 2026

Copytrading lets you mirror the trades of a proven performer automatically — when they open a position, you open a scaled version of the same one. On Compass this happens non-custodially: you authorize a session key that can place orders on your behalf but can never withdraw your funds. This guide walks through how the delegation works, what you control, and where the risks are.

Key Takeaways

• You mirror a trader through a session key — Compass can place trades but never move your money
• Delegation is one signature to enable and can be revoked at any time
• Position sizes are scaled to your account, not copied 1:1 in absolute dollars
• Copytrading inherits the trader's risk: a drawdown for them is a drawdown for you

What copytrading actually does

When you copy a trader, Compass watches their fills on Hyperliquid and replicates the same actions on your account — entries, exits, and adjustments — sized to your capital. You are not handing over your keys; you are granting a narrowly-scoped agent permission to trade.

• Pick from the leaderboard — Every trader is ranked by realized PnL, win rate, and ROI — with full position history.
• One-signature delegation — Enabling copytrading is a single approval, not a deposit to a pooled fund.
• Scaled sizing — Trades are sized to your balance, so you take proportional — not identical — exposure.
• Revocable anytime — Disable the session key and copying stops immediately.

How the session key works

A session key is a temporary signing key derived from your wallet. It is the mechanism that makes non-custodial copytrading possible.

1. Connect your wallet — Sign in with email, social, or any EVM wallet via Privy.
2. Approve a session key — One signature authorizes an agent that can place trades — and only place trades.
3. Compass mirrors fills — When your chosen trader acts, the agent submits the scaled equivalent on your account.
4. Revoke whenever — Turn off copytrading and the session key can no longer act.

💡 Tip: The session key's permissions are scoped to order placement on Hyperliquid. It cannot initiate withdrawals or transfers — that authority never leaves your wallet.

What you keep control of

NON-CUSTODIAL BY DESIGN

Your funds stay in your account

Compass never takes custody. Your USDC and positions live in your own Hyperliquid account the entire time.

YOUR CALL, ALWAYS

Start, stop, and size on your terms

You choose who to copy, how much of your balance to allocate, and when to stop. None of that is delegated away.

Understand the risk

Copytrading is not a guaranteed-return product. You are adopting another person's strategy, and their losing periods become your losing periods.

⚠ Warning: Past performance does not predict future results. A trader with a strong track record can still hit a sharp drawdown — and because sizing is proportional, so will you. Only allocate what you can afford to lose, and review a trader's full history, not just their best month.

WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU COPY

• Win-rate stability over time
• Maximum historical drawdown
• Position concentration
• How long the track record is
• Leverage they typically use
• Behavior during volatile periods

Conclusion

Compass copytrading gives you a proven trader's execution without giving up custody of your funds or the ability to pull the plug. The mechanics are simple — pick a trader, approve a session key, and mirror their trades at your scale — but the responsibility for choosing wisely and sizing sensibly stays with you.

Ready to look at who's worth copying? Head to the leaderboard or set up delegation on the copytrading page.

Sources

• Hyperliquid Docs — agent wallets and API order placement (hyperliquid.gitbook.io)
• Compass Leaderboard — live trader rankings and history (compass.trade)