Tamper-Proof Audit Trails for Trading Bots

Notice: This is an educational guide with illustrative code examples. It does not execute code or install dependencies. All examples use the GreenHelix sandbox (https://sandbox.greenhelix.net) which provides 500 free credits — no API key required to get started.

Referenced credentials (you supply these in your own environment):

• AGENT_SIGNING_KEY: Cryptographic signing key for agent identity (Ed25519 key pair for request signing)

The EU AI Act takes effect August 2, 2026. Article 14 requires automatic logging and tamper detection for AI systems making financial decisions. MiFID II RTS 25 and SEC Rule 17a-4 already require write-once, read-many audit trails for order management systems. If your trading bot operates in the EU or handles assets from EU/US persons, you need a compliance-ready audit trail -- not a CSV dump, but a cryptographically verifiable, append-only record that auditors can independently verify. This guide shows you how to build one using GreenHelix's event bus and Merkle claim chains.

1. The Regulatory Landscape
2. Audit Trail Architecture