From Macros to Markets: The Evolution of Computer Automation to Crypto Trading Bots (1999-2025)
It all began with an innocent question: “What if I could avoid doing this manually every day?” This thought, echoing through millions of minds since the late 90s, sparked the automation revolution. What started as a few lines of code in an Excel spreadsheet eventually conquered global markets. Then it redefined operational efficiency, and now drives a significant portion of the world’s cryptocurrency trading. Not bad for a Monday afternoon idea fueled by lukewarm coffee.
From Endless Copy-Paste to Macro Magic (1999-2005)
In the late 90s, keyboards were instruments of repetitive torture. Copying data, formatting reports, opening and closing files all manual territory. Then came macros: small automated routines that liberated the average office worker from death by spreadsheet.
I remember the first time I recorded a macro to automatically highlight cells with errors in a report. It felt like discovering fire in the office. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. And the best part? No one else knew how I did it!
The first real automation began in office environments with macros like these, reducing manual repetitive tasks and freeing up valuable time.
Scripts in environments like VBScript, AutoHotkey, or even the glorious MS-DOS began giving people a dangerous idea: “What if the computer could work for me… all the time?”
When Games Became More Than Just Games (2005-2010)
The same impulse that drove us to automate reports made us wonder: “What if I could farm gold in this MMORPG while I’m in class?” Bots in video games and online poker became almost mythical tools. Some used them to level up characters, others to earn real money. I had a bot that played Age of Empires for me… and yes, it lost almost every time, but it was mine!
Automating resource farming was the starting point for many young minds who later ended up programming financial bots.
The goal was no longer just saving time. It was winning. Or at least, playing without playing.
This was also the first time many discovered the power (and ethical dilemma) of creating systems that outperform humans in specific tasks. A kind of HAL 9000, but with casino chips and names like “BotKiller_9001”.
The Democratization of Automation (2010-2018)
Until this point, automation was the domain of geeks with scripts held together with digital duct tape. But then came the low-code and no-code era. Platforms like Zapier, IFTTT, and Microsoft Power Automate made automation like building with LEGO: connect the pieces and wait for the magic.
You could automate Monday report deliveries, email responses, and even program your home to dim the lights when your cat entered the room (yes, that happened too). It was practical and a bit ridiculous at the same time. But it felt good.
In businesses, the change was radical. Automation wasn’t just geeky anymore: it was profitable. And nobody wanted to be the only human in the middle of processes that already ran by themselves.
Financial Bots: Algorithms Enter the Market (2015-2020)
The financial world realized something obvious: humans have emotions. And emotions can lose money. So trading bots arrived, first in traditional stock markets and then, of course, in crypto.
At first, they were simple: buy low, sell high, or at least try to. I set up one that would sell as soon as it got excited… like me, but without caffeine. Then came the sophisticated ones: technical analysis, risk management, AI, predictions, and Japanese candlestick patterns that even the Japanese didn’t understand.
Suddenly, bots weren’t just operating: they were thinking. And they did it faster than you, colder than you, and without checking Twitter every five minutes.
From Intuition to Algorithm (2020-2025)
The data doesn’t lie. Since 2015, the volume of operations managed by bots has grown steadily:
Annual estimate of the percentage of operations performed by bots vs humans in cryptocurrency trading:
| Year | Bots (%) | Manual (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5% | 95% |
| 2016 | 8% | 92% |
| 2017 | 12% | 88% |
| 2018 | 18% | 82% |
| 2019 | 25% | 75% |
| 2020 | 35% | 65% |
| 2021 | 42% | 58% |
| 2022 | 48% | 52% |
| 2023 | 54% | 46% |
| 2024 | 60% | 40% |
| 2025* | 65% | 35% |
Approximate estimates based on bot usage data and industry trends.
While you think about strategy, your bot executes without fatigue or fear.
Today, many traders no longer consider operating without automation. It’s not a trend; it’s survival. And platforms like Gunbot.shop have emerged specifically to offer solutions that combine automation with real control.
Conclusion: From Laziness to Power
The history of automation is the story of converting “that’s too much work” into “that’s power.” And if anything has become clear in these 25 years, it’s that the future belongs to those who automate.
Emotional trading? FOMO? Manual entries at midnight? That’s part of the past. Do you really think algorithms sleep?
For those who prefer to design their own automated present rather than remain trapped in the past, advanced solutions like those found at gunbot.shop are changing the way traders reclaim their time and control their investments.