Stonks Simulator

Mastering the Market: Where Students Trade Without the Stakes.

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Inspiration

In the whirlwind of college life and the societal pressures from platforms like social media, there's an underlying dream for many to understand and master the stock market. However, tales of fortunes lost serve as cautionary tales. Inspired by our university's motto of Ut Prosim, we decided to serve our community by taking on this challenge. Understanding the need and thirst for financial literacy among students like us, coupled with the awareness of the intimidating nature of the stock world, we envisioned and brought to life "Stonks" - a comprehensive and user-friendly Stock Market Simulator designed to bridge knowledge gaps without the real-world financial risks. What makes us unique is our ease of use and that we provide all features needed to trade stocks in a single platform.

What it does

Stonks isn't just another app; it's a playground for budding investors. Here, students can experience the highs and lows of trading stocks from major exchanges like NSE and NASDAQ. With an optional budget constraint feature, it mirrors real-world scenarios, preparing users for actual trading. This simulator is our answer to every student's quest to grasp the nuances of the stock market while still in college.

How we built it

The foundation of Stonks lies in Python. The interactive frontend is crafted with Streamlit, seamlessly presenting data to users. A standout feature, the ability to search for stocks and retrieve their real-time values, is powered by Beautiful Soup which scrapes data directly from Google Finance. Auth0 underpins our login system, ensuring personalized experiences by guarding individual portfolios. Our backend server, built on MongoDB, powers data storage and processing, tying the different elements together into a cohesive application.

Challenges & Learning

Navigating unfamiliar terrains was our most significant challenge. The majority of our team, accustomed to JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Java, found Streamlit, Auth0, and MongoDB to be uncharted territories. Our initial assumption of similarities between MySQL and MongoDB was soon debunked, opening us to new learnings. Coordinating on GitHub was another trial, especially for those stepping into the world of version control for the first time. Merge conflicts became a common visitor.

Yet, persistence paid off. Despite the initial slow pace and occasional bouts of demotivation, the sense of achievement from troubleshooting issues kept us going. By the end, our arsenal of knowledge expanded to include Streamlit's frontend capabilities and Auth0's robust authentication methods, and we mastered MongoDB's distinct data management features.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our journey from concept to a functioning prototype, filled with countless hurdles, is our collective achievement. Grasping new tech stacks, resolving unexpected bugs, and ultimately creating a platform that resonates with our vision are feats we hold close.

What's next for Stonks

The horizon looks promising for Stonks. We're looking to incorporate competitive features, enabling students to showcase their trading skills through contests. Furthermore, our goal is to bring Stonks online, making it accessible to a broader audience, ensuring every student gets a chance to dive into the world of stocks without diving into their pockets.

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