Installation

To begin using CCXT, you need to install the library. You can do this easily with pip:

pip install ccxt

Once installation is complete, you'll be ready to start interacting with different cryptocurrency exchanges.

Authentication

The first step in utilizing CCXT is to authenticate with your chosen exchange. This step is crucial for executing trades and accessing your account information.

Here’s how to authenticate with various exchanges using CCXT:

import ccxt

# Binance authentication

exchange = ccxt.binance({

'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',

'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET_KEY',

})

# KuCoin authentication

exchange_kucoin = ccxt.kucoin({

'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',

'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET_KEY',

})

# Bitget authentication

exchange_bitget = ccxt.bitget({

'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',

'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET_KEY',

'password': 'YOUR_API_PASSWORD',

})

# Bybit authentication

exchange_bybit = ccxt.bybit({

'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',

'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET_KEY',

})

Make sure to replace YOUR_API_KEY and YOUR_SECRET_KEY with your actual API credentials obtained from the respective exchange.

Placing a Buy Order

Once authenticated, you can start placing trades. Here’s an example of how to execute a buy order:

symbol = 'BTC/USDT'

amount = 0.001

price = 60000

order = exchange.create_order(symbol, 'limit', 'buy', amount, price)

# OR

order = exchange.create_market_buy_order(symbol, amount)

In this case, we are placing a limit order to buy 0.001 BTC at a price of 60,000 USDT per BTC. The create_order function returns a dictionary containing details about the order, such as its ID and status.

Closing a Position

To close an open position, simply place an order in the opposite direction of your existing position. For example, if you are holding a long position in BTC/USDT, you can close it by placing a sell order for the equivalent amount of BTC.

Here’s how to close a long position using CCXT:

symbol = 'BTC/USDT'

amount = 0.001

price = 60000

order = exchange.create_order(symbol, 'limit', 'sell', amount, price)

# OR

order = exchange.create_market_sell_order(symbol, amount)

Canceling an Order

If you need to cancel an order, CCXT provides the cancel_order method. Here’s how to do it:

order_id = '12345'

order = exchange.cancel_order(order_id)

In this example, we are canceling an order identified by the ID '12345'. The cancel_order method returns a dictionary with information about the canceled order.

Fetching Data with CCXT

CCXT offers a variety of "fetch commands" that allow you to retrieve data from a cryptocurrency exchange. These commands help you access order book details, trade history, and more, returning the data in a structured format suitable for your Python scripts.

Here are some commonly used fetch commands:

• fetch_ticker: Retrieves current ticker information for a specific symbol (e.g., BTC/USDT).

symbol = 'BTC/USDT'

ticker = exchange.fetch_ticker(symbol)

print(ticker)

• fetch_order_book: Gets the current order book for a specified symbol, which includes a list of active buy and sell orders at different price levels.

order_book = exchange.fetch_order_book(symbol)

print(order_book)

• fetch_trades: Retrieves recent trade data for a specified symbol, detailing trade ID, price, and quantity.

trades = exchange.fetch_trades(symbol)

print(trades)

• fetch_balance: Obtains the current account balance for the authenticated user, including the amount of cryptocurrencies and fiat held.

balance = exchange.fetch_balance()

print(balance)

These examples illustrate just a fraction of the fetch commands available through CCXT. Each exchange might support different commands, so it’s essential to refer to the exchange’s documentation for comprehensive details.