bitbank Trading Bot in Python

This guide shows how to build a bitbank trading bot in Python with LumiBot, for both AI agent trading and algorithmic trading. LumiBot connects to bitbank through CCXT, the open source library that talks to more than 100 crypto exchanges. You will create a bitbank account and API key, connect it, and run two examples: a simple algorithmic trading bot and an agentic trading bot where an AI agent makes the calls.

bitbank at a glance

CCXT exchange id

bitbank

Markets

Spot

Testnet (sandbox)

No

Credentials

API key, API secret

Live data streams

None listed; LumiBot uses REST

CCXT request spacing

about 100 ms between requests

Official site

https://bitbank.cc/

API docs

https://docs.bitbank.cc/

Fees

https://bitbank.cc/docs/fees/

What is bitbank?

bitbank is a crypto exchange with prices in Japanese yen. Its API lets you read prices and charts, place and check orders, and read your trade history.

Sign up for bitbank

  1. Create a bitbank account and finish the identity verification bitbank asks for.

  2. Set up a passkey or two-step authentication. bitbank asks for one of these when you create or view an API key.

  3. bitbank has no testnet, so plan to test with a very small amount.

Open a bitbank account

Create a bitbank API key

  1. Log in to bitbank and choose API from the menu.

  2. Press the APIキーの発行 (Issue API key) button.

  3. Type a label so you can tell what the key is for, then choose the permissions (see below).

  4. Press 確認する (Confirm), check the details and press 発行する (Issue).

  5. Finish the extra check with your passkey (or a two-step or SMS code if you have no passkey).

  6. To see the key, press the arrow next to it in the API menu and pass the security check. The screen shows the API key and the secret key.

Which permissions to turn on: Turn on the view permission (参照) and the trading permission so your bot can read balances and orders and place trades. Leave the withdrawal permission off. bitbank warns that anyone who has your API key can place orders and request withdrawals.

Warning

Never turn on withdrawals for a bitbank trading bot key. Bind the key to your server’s IP address when bitbank lets you, keep the secret out of your code and out of Git, and delete the key if it ever leaks.

Connect bitbank to LumiBot

The simplest way: put these lines in a .env file next to your strategy. LumiBot loads the file, sees TRADING_BROKER=bitbank and connects to bitbank for you, so your strategy needs no broker code.

TRADING_BROKER=bitbank
BITBANK_API_KEY=your_apiKey
BITBANK_API_SECRET=your_secret

LumiBot reads exactly the fields CCXT needs for bitbank (apiKey, secret). If one is missing, LumiBot stops at start-up and names the variable you still need.

You can also build the broker in code. This is handy when one script talks to more than one exchange, or when you need extra CCXT options. The keys in the config are CCXT’s own credential names for bitbank:

import os

BITBANK_CONFIG = {
    "exchange_id": "bitbank",
    "apiKey": os.environ.get("BITBANK_API_KEY"),
    "secret": os.environ.get("BITBANK_API_SECRET"),
    "sandbox": False,  # no sandbox for this exchange
}

from lumibot.brokers import Ccxt

broker = Ccxt(BITBANK_CONFIG)
# then: MyStrategy(broker=broker, ...)

Either way, LumiBot turns on CCXT’s built-in rate limiting for you.

Testing on bitbank

bitbank has no sandbox, and CCXT lists no test URL for it, so test with a very small amount. With environment variables, leave BITBANK_SANDBOX unset. In a code config, set "sandbox": False.

Algorithmic trading example: a simple bitbank bot

This bot buys about 7500 JPY of BTC on bitbank once and then holds it. It is a starting point to check that your keys, balances and orders work. If the exchange’s minimum order is larger, raise the amount.

from lumibot.entities import Asset
from lumibot.strategies import Strategy


class BitbankBuyOnce(Strategy):
    """Buy a small amount of BTC once, then hold it."""

    def initialize(self):
        self.sleeptime = "1H"
        self.set_market("24/7")  # crypto trades all day, every day

    def on_trading_iteration(self):
        coin = Asset("BTC", asset_type=Asset.AssetType.CRYPTO)
        if self.get_position(coin) is not None:
            return  # already holding BTC
        price = self.get_last_price(coin, quote=self.quote_asset)
        if price:
            quantity = round(7500 / price, 6)  # about 7500 JPY worth
            order = self.create_order(coin, quantity, "buy", quote=self.quote_asset)
            self.submit_order(order)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # LumiBot reads TRADING_BROKER and the keys from your .env file.
    strategy = BitbankBuyOnce(quote_asset=Asset("JPY", asset_type=Asset.AssetType.CRYPTO))
    strategy.run_live()

Agentic trading example: an AI agent that trades on bitbank

Agentic trading means an AI agent reads the market and decides what to do. In this example one LumiBot agent looks at prices and your bitbank account, then places the orders itself. There is no Python logic in between: you set the rules in plain English in the prompt, such as what it may trade and how big each order can be. This follows the same pattern as LumiBot’s AI trading team examples.

from lumibot.entities import Asset
from lumibot.strategies import Strategy


class BitbankAITrader(Strategy):
    """One AI agent researches the market and places the trades itself."""

    def initialize(self):
        self.sleeptime = "4H"
        self.set_market("24/7")
        self.agents.create(
            name="trader",
            model="openai/gpt-6-luna",
            reasoning_effort="high",
            allow_trading=True,
            system_prompt=(
                "You manage a small crypto account on bitbank. "
                "You may trade BTC and ETH against JPY (asset_type 'crypto', quote_symbol 'JPY'), or hold cash. "
                "Before every order, call account_portfolio, account_positions and "
                "market_last_price for that exact symbol in the same run. "
                "Keep each order under 10% of the account value. "
                "Explain each decision in one short paragraph."
            ),
        )

    def on_trading_iteration(self):
        self.agents["trader"].run(
            task_prompt="Review recent BTC/JPY and ETH/JPY prices and your current holdings, then decide whether to buy, sell or hold.",
            context={"exchange": "bitbank", "quote": "JPY", "date": self.get_datetime().isoformat()},
        )


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # LumiBot reads TRADING_BROKER and the keys from your .env file.
    strategy = BitbankAITrader(quote_asset=Asset("JPY", asset_type=Asset.AssetType.CRYPTO))
    strategy.run_live()

The agent needs a model key such as OPENAI_API_KEY in your environment. See the AI agents quickstart for models, tools and memory.

What you can trade on bitbank through CCXT

Market

Listed by CCXT

Spot

Yes

Margin

No

Perpetual swaps

No

Dated futures

No

Options

No

CCXT lists these order features for bitbank: market orders, limit orders, editing open orders, canceling orders.

bitbank tips

  • bitbank markets are priced in Japanese yen, so use JPY as your quote asset (for example BTC/JPY). bitbank’s own API writes pairs like btc_jpy; LumiBot and CCXT use the BTC/JPY form.

  • bitbank’s official API docs live on GitHub at https://github.com/bitbankinc/bitbank-api-docs, with a Japanese version. The help center points there.

  • If you delete a key in the API menu, it stops working right away, so a bot using it can no longer trade.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a bitbank trading bot in Python?

Yes. Install LumiBot (pip install lumibot), set your bitbank keys and use the bitbank CCXT exchange id as shown above.

Does bitbank have a testnet?

No testnet is set up for bitbank in LumiBot. Start with a small amount, and in a code config set "sandbox": False.

Which API permissions does a bitbank bot need?

Turn on the view permission (参照) and the trading permission so your bot can read balances and orders and place trades. Leave the withdrawal permission off. bitbank warns that anyone who has your API key can place orders and request withdrawals.

Can an AI agent trade on bitbank by itself?

Yes. The agentic example above gives one agent permission to trade. You control what it may trade and how much through its prompt.

Can I trade bitbank perpetual futures with LumiBot?

CCXT does not list perpetual swaps for bitbank, so use spot markets.

Is LumiBot free?

Yes. LumiBot is open source on GitHub at https://github.com/Lumiwealth/lumibot. You pay only your exchange’s trading fees and, for AI agents, your model provider.

Run it in the cloud with BotSpot

Do not want to keep a computer running for your bitbank bot? BotSpot is the hosted home for LumiBot strategies and AI trading agents: build with AI, backtest, connect a broker, and watch every trade with logs and alerts.

Try BotSpot

Sources