RetroVault

RetroVault is a decentralized, onchain strategy execution protocol that allows users to deposit funds into protocol owned strategy vaults while outsourcing trade execution to a permissionless, market driven executor layer. The protocol itself does not run bots, does not decide execution timing, and does not rely on any privileged actor to trade. Instead, it encodes trading strategies as verifiable onchain rules and exposes them as public execution opportunities that anyone can fulfill. At a high level, the protocol separates strategy definition, capital custody, and trade execution into distinct concerns:

Strategy definition is governed by the protocol owner (or DAO). Strategies such as “buy the dip,” “momentum sell,” or “rebalancing” are added or removed at the protocol level. Each strategy defines what should happen and under what conditions, but never who executes it.

Capital custody is handled by onchain vaults. Users can only deposit and withdraw funds; they cannot trade directly. This ensures that all trading activity follows the strategy rules enforced by smart contracts. Trade execution is fully permissionless. When a strategy’s conditions are met (for example, ETH dropping 1% over a 5 minute TWAP window), the protocol exposes a deterministic trade intent onchain. Any external actor MEV searchers, bots, keepers, or regular users can execute that intent by submitting a transaction. The contract verifies the outcome (price bounds, slippage, assets returned) and reverts if execution is invalid.

Because execution is open and competitive, the protocol naturally attracts MEV searchers who optimize routing, gas efficiency, and price execution. This removes the need for a centralized bot while still ensuring trades are executed quickly and efficiently. The protocol never trusts executors; it only accepts trades that satisfy strict onchain verification rules.

In effect, this project turns automated trading strategies into public, onchain financial primitives. Users get non-custodial exposure to algorithmic strategies, the protocol retains control over which strategies exist, and execution is decentralized through economic incentives rather than trusted infrastructure.

This project was built as a modular, onchain-first DeFi protocol focused on verifiable strategy execution and permissionless automation, rather than relying on centralized trading bots. The core idea was to separate strategy logic, fund custody, and execution so that no single actor is trusted to trade on behalf of users.

The smart contracts are written in Solidity and deployed on Ethereum compatible networks. The system is composed of three main pieces: a strategy registry (controlled by the protocol owner or future DAO) that defines which strategies exist, ERC-4626 style vaults that hold user funds and only allow deposits and withdrawals, and a permissionless execution engine that validates and settles trades. This design ensures user funds are always non-custodial and that trading can only happen according to onchain rules.

For pricing and time-based conditions, the protocol uses onchain data sources. Short-term price movements (such as a 1% drop over 5 minutes) are computed using DEX TWAPs, optionally bounded by oracle prices (e.g., Chainlink feeds) to guard against manipulation. This avoids storing large amounts of historical data onchain while keeping strategy conditions fully deterministic.

Execution follows an intent-based, MEV-friendly model. Strategies do not submit trades themselves; instead, when conditions are met, they expose a deterministic trade intent (asset in/out, size, minimum output, deadline). Any external actor MEV searchers, bots, or keepers can execute this intent by routing through DEXs or aggregators. The contracts strictly verify execution outcomes (slippage bounds and final balances), reverting if conditions are not met. This intentionally embraces MEV as a coordination mechanism, removing the need for a centralized bot while improving execution quality.