diff --git a/market/data_klines.go b/market/data_klines.go
index 94c320f0..5799eb21 100644
--- a/market/data_klines.go
+++ b/market/data_klines.go
@@ -114,18 +114,17 @@ func getKlinesFromCoinAnk(symbol, interval, exchange string, limit int) ([]Kline
 
 // getKlinesFromHyperliquid fetches kline data from Hyperliquid API for xyz dex assets
 func getKlinesFromHyperliquid(symbol, interval string, limit int) ([]Kline, error) {
-	// Remove xyz: prefix if present for the API call
-	baseCoin := strings.TrimPrefix(symbol, "xyz:")
-
-	// Map interval to Hyperliquid format
+	// Pass the symbol AS-IS to GetCandles. It internally calls FormatCoinForAPI
+	// which handles the xyz: prefix correctly. Stripping the prefix here was a
+	// bug: if the base symbol (e.g. "QNT") was not in our hardcoded
+	// StockPerpsSymbols list, FormatCoinForAPI couldn't tell it was an xyz
+	// asset and the request hit the crypto perp endpoint instead — which
+	// returns 500 for stock symbols that have no crypto perp on Hyperliquid.
 	hlInterval := hyperliquid.MapTimeframe(interval)
 
-	// Create Hyperliquid client
 	client := hyperliquid.NewClient()
-
-	// Fetch candles
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	candles, err := client.GetCandles(ctx, baseCoin, hlInterval, limit)
+	candles, err := client.GetCandles(ctx, symbol, hlInterval, limit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Hyperliquid API error: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/provider/hyperliquid/kline.go b/provider/hyperliquid/kline.go
index 1c7dc85a..b9b987bd 100644
--- a/provider/hyperliquid/kline.go
+++ b/provider/hyperliquid/kline.go
@@ -460,8 +460,21 @@ func IsStockPerp(symbol string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// IsXYZAsset checks if a symbol is on the xyz dex (stocks, forex, commodities)
+// IsXYZAsset checks if a symbol is on the xyz dex (stocks, forex, commodities).
+//
+// Detection is suffix-driven first, hardcoded-list second:
+//   1. `xyz:` prefix or `-USDC` suffix are unambiguous Hyperliquid signals —
+//      the only place those tokens originate is the Hyperliquid USDC board.
+//      This unblocks newly-listed stock perpetuals (QNT, ARM, ...) without
+//      requiring a code change every time Hyperliquid adds a ticker.
+//   2. Bare bases (e.g. "QNT" with no qualifying suffix) still fall back to
+//      the hardcoded StockPerpsSymbols / XYZOtherSymbols / display alias lists
+//      so callers passing pre-normalized base symbols continue to work.
 func IsXYZAsset(symbol string) bool {
+	trimmed := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(symbol))
+	if strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(trimmed), "xyz:") || strings.HasSuffix(trimmed, "-USDC") {
+		return true
+	}
 	coin := NormalizeCoinBase(symbol)
 	// Check stock perps
 	for _, s := range StockPerpsSymbols {
@@ -507,12 +520,23 @@ func NormalizeCoinBase(symbol string) string {
 	return NormalizeXYZAlias(symbol)
 }
 
-// FormatCoinForAPI formats the coin name for Hyperliquid API
-// Stock perps need xyz:SYMBOL format, crypto uses plain symbol
+// FormatCoinForAPI formats the coin name for Hyperliquid API.
+// Stock perps need xyz:SYMBOL format, crypto uses plain symbol.
+//
+// Decision order:
+//   1. `xyz:` prefix OR `-USDC` suffix on the original input ⇒ xyz asset
+//      (these tokens are Hyperliquid-specific, so the answer is unambiguous
+//      regardless of whether the base symbol appears in our hardcoded lists).
+//   2. After stripping suffixes, if the bare base matches a known xyz asset
+//      (stock perps, forex, commodities, display aliases) ⇒ also xyz.
+//   3. Otherwise crypto.
 func FormatCoinForAPI(symbol string) string {
-	hasExplicitXYZ := strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(symbol)), "xyz:")
+	trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(symbol)
+	upper := strings.ToUpper(trimmed)
+	hasExplicitXYZ := strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(trimmed), "xyz:")
+	hasUSDCSuffix := strings.HasSuffix(upper, "-USDC")
 	base := NormalizeCoinBase(symbol)
-	if hasExplicitXYZ || IsXYZAsset(base) {
+	if hasExplicitXYZ || hasUSDCSuffix || IsXYZAsset(base) {
 		return "xyz:" + base
 	}
 	return base
diff --git a/trader/auto_trader_loop.go b/trader/auto_trader_loop.go
index 4e5c5e0b..d7f4ae3e 100644
--- a/trader/auto_trader_loop.go
+++ b/trader/auto_trader_loop.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"nofx/kernel"
 	"nofx/logger"
 	"nofx/market"
+	"nofx/provider/hyperliquid"
 	"nofx/store"
 	"nofx/wallet"
 	"strings"
@@ -292,6 +293,30 @@ func normalizeUniverseSymbol(symbol string) string {
 	return market.Normalize(strings.TrimSpace(symbol))
 }
 
+// universeBaseKey returns the bare base ticker used for fuzzy candidate
+// matching. The AI sometimes echoes a candidate as "QNTUSDC", "QNT-USDC",
+// "QNTUSDT", or even just "QNT" instead of the canonical "xyz:QNT" we
+// supplied in the prompt. All of those resolve to the same Hyperliquid
+// instrument, so we accept any of them when the base matches an allowed
+// candidate's base.
+func universeBaseKey(symbol string) string {
+	s := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(symbol))
+	if s == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	// Drop any xyz:/XYZ: prefix.
+	s = strings.TrimPrefix(s, "XYZ:")
+	// Drop common quote suffixes in order of specificity.
+	for _, suf := range []string{"-USDC", "-USDT", "USDC", "USDT", "USD"} {
+		if strings.HasSuffix(s, suf) && len(s) > len(suf) {
+			s = strings.TrimSuffix(s, suf)
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	// Normalize alias (TESLA -> TSLA, ROBINHOOD -> HOOD, etc.).
+	return hyperliquid.NormalizeXYZAlias(s)
+}
+
 func isOpenDecision(action string) bool {
 	a := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(action))
 	return a == "open_long" || a == "open_short"
@@ -303,13 +328,21 @@ func (at *AutoTrader) filterDecisionsToStrategyUniverse(decisions []kernel.Decis
 	}
 
 	allowed := make(map[string]bool, len(ctx.CandidateCoins))
+	allowedBases := make(map[string]bool, len(ctx.CandidateCoins))
 	for _, coin := range ctx.CandidateCoins {
 		allowed[normalizeUniverseSymbol(coin.Symbol)] = true
+		if base := universeBaseKey(coin.Symbol); base != "" {
+			allowedBases[base] = true
+		}
 	}
 
 	positions := make(map[string]bool, len(ctx.Positions))
+	positionBases := make(map[string]bool, len(ctx.Positions))
 	for _, pos := range ctx.Positions {
 		positions[normalizeUniverseSymbol(pos.Symbol)] = true
+		if base := universeBaseKey(pos.Symbol); base != "" {
+			positionBases[base] = true
+		}
 	}
 
 	filtered := make([]kernel.Decision, 0, len(decisions))
@@ -325,6 +358,19 @@ func (at *AutoTrader) filterDecisionsToStrategyUniverse(decisions []kernel.Decis
 			continue
 		}
 
+		// Fall back to base-level match so AI outputs like "QNTUSDC" still
+		// resolve to candidate "xyz:QNT". Rewrite the decision's symbol to
+		// the canonical form so downstream order placement works.
+		if base := universeBaseKey(d.Symbol); base != "" {
+			if allowedBases[base] || positionBases[base] {
+				if canonical := canonicalUniverseSymbolForBase(ctx, base); canonical != "" {
+					d.Symbol = canonical
+				}
+				filtered = append(filtered, d)
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+
 		if isOpenDecision(d.Action) {
 			at.logWarnf("🚫 Blocked AI %s for %s: symbol is outside strategy candidate universe", d.Action, d.Symbol)
 		} else {
@@ -334,6 +380,23 @@ func (at *AutoTrader) filterDecisionsToStrategyUniverse(decisions []kernel.Decis
 	return filtered
 }
 
+// canonicalUniverseSymbolForBase finds the canonical candidate or position
+// symbol that has the given base. Used to rewrite an AI decision's symbol
+// (e.g. "QNTUSDC") to the form our order pipeline expects ("xyz:QNT").
+func canonicalUniverseSymbolForBase(ctx *kernel.Context, base string) string {
+	for _, coin := range ctx.CandidateCoins {
+		if universeBaseKey(coin.Symbol) == base {
+			return coin.Symbol
+		}
+	}
+	for _, pos := range ctx.Positions {
+		if universeBaseKey(pos.Symbol) == base {
+			return pos.Symbol
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 // buildTradingContext builds trading context
 func (at *AutoTrader) buildTradingContext() (*kernel.Context, error) {
 	// 1. Get account information