NDAX Trading Bot in Python

This guide shows how to build a NDAX trading bot in Python with LumiBot, for both AI agent trading and algorithmic trading. LumiBot connects to NDAX through CCXT, the open source library that talks to more than 100 crypto exchanges. You will create a NDAX 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.

NDAX at a glance

CCXT exchange id

ndax

Markets

Spot

Testnet (sandbox)

No

Credentials

API key, login, API passphrase (CCXT calls it password), API secret, user id

Live data streams

prices, order book, trades, candles

CCXT request spacing

about 1000 ms between requests

Official site

https://ndax.io

API docs

https://apidoc.ndax.io/

Fees

https://ndax.io/fees

What is NDAX?

NDAX is a crypto trading platform with a website and mobile app. Its public API lets you get market data, manage your account and place trades.

Sign up for NDAX

  1. Click SIGN UP on the NDAX website or app. Enter your name, a username, email and password, then confirm the email link.

  2. Verify your phone number with the 6 digit code NDAX sends.

  3. Upload a government-issued ID and take the 3D selfie. NDAX says the review takes 0 to 2 business days.

Open a NDAX account

Create a NDAX API key

  1. Log in to your NDAX account on the website or mobile app.

  2. Click your profile icon (top right) and select API Keys.

  3. Click Create New API Key.

  4. Name the key and select the permissions (see below), then click Create.

  5. Copy the API key and secret key from the popup and store them safely.

Which permissions to turn on: Select only the permissions the bot needs to read your account and trade. Leave any withdraw permission off. A bot never needs to move money out of your account.

Warning

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

Connect NDAX to LumiBot

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

TRADING_BROKER=ndax
NDAX_API_KEY=your_apiKey
NDAX_LOGIN=your_login
NDAX_API_PASSPHRASE=your_password
NDAX_API_SECRET=your_secret
NDAX_UID=your_uid

LumiBot reads exactly the fields CCXT needs for NDAX (apiKey, login, password, secret, uid). 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 NDAX:

import os

NDAX_CONFIG = {
    "exchange_id": "ndax",
    "apiKey": os.environ.get("NDAX_API_KEY"),
    "login": os.environ.get("NDAX_LOGIN"),
    "password": os.environ.get("NDAX_API_PASSPHRASE"),
    "secret": os.environ.get("NDAX_API_SECRET"),
    "uid": os.environ.get("NDAX_UID"),
    "sandbox": False,  # no sandbox for this exchange
}

from lumibot.brokers import Ccxt

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

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

Testing on NDAX

NDAX’s own help pages do not describe a public test environment. CCXT lists a staging address for NDAX, but NDAX does not document it for customers, so treat NDAX as having no sandbox. Test with a very small amount, leave NDAX_SANDBOX unset, and in a code config set "sandbox": False.

Algorithmic trading example: a simple NDAX bot

This bot buys about 70 CAD of BTC on NDAX 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 NdaxBuyOnce(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(70 / price, 6)  # about 70 CAD 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 = NdaxBuyOnce(quote_asset=Asset("CAD", asset_type=Asset.AssetType.CRYPTO))
    strategy.run_live()

Agentic trading example: an AI agent that trades on NDAX

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 NDAX 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 NdaxAITrader(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 NDAX. "
                "You may trade BTC and ETH against CAD (asset_type 'crypto', quote_symbol 'CAD'), 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/CAD and ETH/CAD prices and your current holdings, then decide whether to buy, sell or hold.",
            context={"exchange": "NDAX", "quote": "CAD", "date": self.get_datetime().isoformat()},
        )


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # LumiBot reads TRADING_BROKER and the keys from your .env file.
    strategy = NdaxAITrader(quote_asset=Asset("CAD", 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 NDAX through CCXT

Market

Listed by CCXT

Spot

Yes

Margin

No

Perpetual swaps

No

Dated futures

No

Options

No

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

NDAX tips

  • NDAX needs five credentials in CCXT: the API key, the secret, your numeric NDAX user ID, and your NDAX login username and password. Set NDAX_API_KEY, NDAX_API_SECRET, NDAX_UID, NDAX_LOGIN and NDAX_API_PASSPHRASE (your login password). In a code config these are apiKey, secret, uid, login and password.

  • NDAX’s API FAQ says the username and password must match the ones you use to log in to NDAX, and that the key and secret are case sensitive. Check these first if you see an invalid API key error.

  • NDAX’s help center points developers to CCXT as its official integration files for Python, JavaScript and PHP.

  • Delete keys you no longer use under Settings, API Key, using the trash icon. A deleted key cannot be brought back.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a NDAX trading bot in Python?

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

Does NDAX have a testnet?

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

Which API permissions does a NDAX bot need?

Select only the permissions the bot needs to read your account and trade. Leave any withdraw permission off. A bot never needs to move money out of your account.

Can an AI agent trade on NDAX 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 NDAX perpetual futures with LumiBot?

CCXT does not list perpetual swaps for NDAX, 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 NDAX 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