Price alerts by asking, and the pulse pill that brings traders back
A trader sets a price alert by asking for it, for example “tell me if SOL drops below 120.” Hippo confirms it and adds it to the trader’s list. When the price crosses the level, the closed Hippo panel shows a small pulse pill on the exchange’s page. The same pill surfaces order fills and large market moves, so Hippo stays useful while it is minimised.
Alerts bring a trader back to the exchange at the moment the trader said mattered.
How does a trader set an alert?
By typing a sentence. No form, no dropdowns.
| What the trader types | What Hippo records |
|---|---|
| “Tell me if SOL drops below 120” | SOL/USDT, price falls below $120.00 |
| “Alert me if BTC goes above 65k” | BTC/USDT, price rises above $65,000.00 |
Hippo echoes the alert back, so the trader can see exactly what was understood, and the alert joins the trader’s list of alerts in the panel.
What happens when an alert fires?
If the Hippo panel is open, the alert appears in the chat as a card, with the price at the moment it fired and the time.
If the panel is closed, a pulse pill appears: a small tap on the shoulder at the edge of the page. The trader taps it, the panel opens, and the alert card is there with the context. From there the trader can ask what moved the price, look at their position, or draft an order on Hippo’s ticket. See how Hippo drafts orders.
Alerts show in the Hippo panel on the exchange’s site. They are not sent by email or push notification.
What else does the pulse pill show?
Three kinds of event, all ones a trader would want to know about:
- Triggered alerts. The levels the trader asked to watch.
- Order fills. An order the trader confirmed has filled.
- Large market moves. A sharp move in the market.
The pill is built to stay quiet. A notification that fires all the time gets ignored; one that fires only when something matters gets tapped.
What does it look like end to end?
An illustrative sequence:
- In the morning, a trader types “tell me if SOL drops below 120.” Hippo confirms the alert.
- The trader closes the panel and carries on using the exchange.
- In the afternoon SOL trades below $120.00. A pulse pill appears on the page.
- The trader taps it. The panel opens on the alert card, showing the price when it fired and the time.
- The trader asks what moved SOL, and gets a research card with the facts and sources.
Where is the advice line?
The trader picks the market and the level. Hippo records it and reports when it fires. Hippo does not suggest levels to watch or say what a crossed level means for the trader’s next move. A “large move” pill reports what happened, not what to do about it.
That is the same rule that runs through every Hippo answer, set out in how an AI trading agent avoids giving investment advice.
Why it matters to the exchange
A trader who set an alert has told the exchange what they care about. When the alert fires, the exchange is the place they come back to, on the exchange’s own page, with the order ticket one tap away. That is a return visit at the right moment, earned by the trader’s own choice rather than a marketing message.
For product teams, the pilot measures are simple: how many traders set alerts, how many triggered alerts lead to a session, and how many of those sessions lead to a confirmed order. Retention more widely is covered in what makes a trader place a second trade.
Price alerts and the pulse pill are live on Hippo’s demo exchange today. If you run product or growth at an exchange or broker, askthehippo.com has more on how a pilot works.
Frequently asked questions
How does a trader set an alert in Hippo?
By asking in plain English, such as 'alert me if BTC goes above 65,000.' Hippo reads the market, the direction and the level, confirms the alert back, and adds it to the trader's alert list.
Where does the alert appear when it fires?
In the Hippo panel on the exchange's site. If the panel is closed, a small pulse pill appears on the page. Alerts are not sent by email or push notification.
What else does the pulse pill show?
Order fills and large market moves, as well as triggered alerts. It is designed to surface only things that matter, so it stays quiet most of the time.
Is setting an alert a recommendation?
No. The trader chooses the market and the level. Hippo records the alert and reports when it fires; it does not suggest levels to watch.
Hippo provides information, not investment advice.
