inb4 “if it’s legal it’s not a crime”

  • This I think is wishful thinking. If they already made the trade and profited, they’re not going to care about the people scooping according to what they did. If the followers-on like me overinflate or kill the asset depending on what the cheater did all it would do is damage the economy. If you are in a position of aristocratic privilege such that insider trading is possible for you, destroying the economy is an opportunity to acquire assets at a bargain.

    • Depends on the trade. If they sell before a stock collapses, that’s true. They better do it before all the other insiders do, though - and you better be first too. Like, microseconds quick, if your strategy is just to copy them 1:1. If they’re doing something multi-step it becomes a game where they have to be careful to preserve their information advantage, or it becomes worthless.