CCXT for Python

A comprehensive guide to using CCXT in Python projects for cryptocurrency exchange integration.

Installation

REST API (Standard)

pip install ccxt

WebSocket API (Real-time, ccxt.pro)

pip install ccxt

Optional Performance Enhancements

pip install orjson      # Faster JSON parsing
pip install coincurve   # Faster ECDSA signing (45ms → 0.05ms)

Both REST and WebSocket APIs are included in the same package.

Quick Start

REST API - Synchronous

import ccxt

exchange = ccxt.binance()
exchange.load_markets()
ticker = exchange.fetch_ticker('BTC/USDT')
print(ticker)

REST API - Asynchronous

import asyncio
import ccxt.async_support as ccxt

async def main():
    exchange = ccxt.binance()
    await exchange.load_markets()
    ticker = await exchange.fetch_ticker('BTC/USDT')
    print(ticker)
    await exchange.close()  # Important!

asyncio.run(main())

WebSocket API - Real-time Updates

import asyncio
import ccxt.pro as ccxtpro

async def main():
    exchange = ccxtpro.binance()
    while True:
        ticker = await exchange.watch_ticker('BTC/USDT')
        print(ticker)  # Live updates!
    await exchange.close()

asyncio.run(main())

REST vs WebSocket

When to use REST:

• Placing orders
• Fetching account balance
• One-time data queries
• Order management (cancel, fetch orders)

When to use WebSocket:

• Real-time price monitoring
• Live orderbook updates
• Arbitrage detection
• Portfolio tracking with live updates

Creating Exchange Instance

REST API - Synchronous

import ccxt

# Public API (no authentication)
exchange = ccxt.binance({
    'enableRateLimit': True  # Recommended!
})

# Private API (with authentication)
exchange = ccxt.binance({
    'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET',
    'enableRateLimit': True
})

REST API - Asynchronous

import ccxt.async_support as ccxt

exchange = ccxt.binance({
    'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET',
    'enableRateLimit': True
})

# Always close when done
await exchange.close()

WebSocket API

import ccxt.pro as ccxtpro

# Public WebSocket
exchange = ccxtpro.binance()

# Private WebSocket (with authentication)
exchange = ccxtpro.binance({
    'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    'secret': 'YOUR_SECRET'
})

# Always close when done
await exchange.close()

Common REST Operations

Loading Markets

# Load all available trading pairs
exchange.load_markets()

# Access market information
btc_market = exchange.market('BTC/USDT')
print(btc_market['limits']['amount']['min'])  # Minimum order amount

Fetching Ticker

# Single ticker
ticker = exchange.fetch_ticker('BTC/USDT')
print(ticker['last'])      # Last price
print(ticker['bid'])       # Best bid
print(ticker['ask'])       # Best ask
print(ticker['volume'])    # 24h volume

# Multiple tickers (if supported)
tickers = exchange.fetch_tickers(['BTC/USDT', 'ETH/USDT'])

Fetching Order Book

# Full orderbook
orderbook = exchange.fetch_order_book('BTC/USDT')
print(orderbook['bids'][0])  # [price, amount]
print(orderbook['asks'][0])  # [price, amount]

# Limited depth
orderbook = exchange.fetch_order_book('BTC/USDT', 5)  # Top 5 levels

Creating Orders

Limit Order

# Buy limit order
order = exchange.create_limit_buy_order('BTC/USDT', 0.01, 50000)
print(order['id'])

# Sell limit order
order = exchange.create_limit_sell_order('BTC/USDT', 0.01, 60000)

# Generic limit order
order = exchange.create_order('BTC/USDT', 'limit', 'buy', 0.01, 50000)

Market Order

# Buy market order
order = exchange.create_market_buy_order('BTC/USDT', 0.01)

# Sell market order
order = exchange.create_market_sell_order('BTC/USDT', 0.01)

# Generic market order
order = exchange.create_order('BTC/USDT', 'market', 'sell', 0.01)

Fetching Balance

balance = exchange.fetch_balance()
print(balance['BTC']['free'])   # Available balance
print(balance['BTC']['used'])   # Balance in orders
print(balance[
how to use ccxt-python
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How to use ccxt-python on Cursor
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1
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add ccxt-python
2
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
$npx skills add https://github.com/ccxt/ccxt --skill ccxt-pythoncopy
The skills CLI fetches ccxt-python from GitHub repository ccxt/ccxt and configures it for Cursor.
3
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│   • Amp
│   • Antigravity
│   • Cline
│   • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│   • Cursor
│   • Windsurf
4
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
.cursor/skills/ccxt-python
Reload or restart Cursor to activate ccxt-python. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /ccxt-python) or your agent's skill management interface.
⚠
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
Additional Resources
›View source code on GitHub›Skills CLI documentation›Learn more about Cursor›What are agent skills?