OKX(US) Trading Bot in Python

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

OKX(US) at a glance

CCXT exchange id

okxus

Markets

Spot, Perpetual swaps

Testnet (sandbox)

Yes

Credentials

API key, API passphrase (CCXT calls it password), API secret

Live data streams

prices, order book, trades, candles, your orders, your balance, your positions

CCXT request spacing

about 110 ms between requests

Official site

https://app.okx.com

API docs

https://app.okx.com/docs-v5/en/#overview

Fees

https://app.okx.com/pages/products/fees.html

What is OKX(US)?

OKX US is the OKX exchange for accounts registered on app.okx.com. It uses the same OKX v5 API as OKX, but through its own API host, us.okx.com.

Sign up for OKX(US)

  1. Create an OKX account at https://app.okx.com and complete the setup steps OKX shows you.

  2. Fund your account. OKX may require more than 100 USD in the account before it lets you create an API key.

  3. For practice, open Trade, then Demo Trading, to get a demo account. Demo keys are made separately (see the sandbox note).

Open a OKX(US) account

Create a OKX(US) API key

  1. Log in, go to Profile and select API and connections, then click Create API key.

  2. Enter a key name and choose the account and what the key is used for.

  3. Add your bot’s IP address to the IP allowlist (up to 20 addresses per key).

  4. Pick the permissions (see below) and type a passphrase you make up yourself.

  5. Save the API key, secret key and passphrase. OKX cannot recover a lost passphrase, so you would need a new key.

Which permissions to turn on: Turn on Read and Trade. Leave Withdraw off. A bot never needs to move money out of your account. OKX notes that Trade also covers funding transfers and settings, so keep the key private.

Warning

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

Connect OKX(US) to LumiBot

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

TRADING_BROKER=okxus
OKXUS_API_KEY=your_apiKey
OKXUS_API_PASSPHRASE=your_password
OKXUS_API_SECRET=your_secret
OKXUS_SANDBOX=true   # testnet; remove this line for your live account

LumiBot reads exactly the fields CCXT needs for OKX(US) (apiKey, password, 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 OKX(US):

import os

OKXUS_CONFIG = {
    "exchange_id": "okxus",
    "apiKey": os.environ.get("OKXUS_API_KEY"),
    "password": os.environ.get("OKXUS_API_PASSPHRASE"),
    "secret": os.environ.get("OKXUS_API_SECRET"),
    "sandbox": True,  # testnet first; set False for your live account
}

from lumibot.brokers import Ccxt

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

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

Practice on the OKX(US) testnet

OKX US offers Demo Trading. Create a demo key under Trade, then Demo Trading, then Personal Center, then Demo Trading API. Demo requests go to the same us.okx.com host with a demo flag, and demo keys only work in demo. Set OKXUS_SANDBOX=true (or "sandbox": True in a code config) to use it.

CCXT sends sandbox requests to: https://us.okx.com. Testnet and live accounts use different keys.

Algorithmic trading example: a simple OKX(US) bot

This bot buys about 50 USDT of BTC on OKX(US) 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 OkxusBuyOnce(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(50 / price, 6)  # about 50 USDT 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 = OkxusBuyOnce(quote_asset=Asset("USDT", asset_type=Asset.AssetType.CRYPTO))
    strategy.run_live()

Agentic trading example: an AI agent that trades on OKX(US)

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


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # LumiBot reads TRADING_BROKER and the keys from your .env file.
    strategy = OkxusAITrader(quote_asset=Asset("USDT", 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 OKX(US) through CCXT

Market

Listed by CCXT

Spot

Yes

Margin

Not listed by CCXT

Perpetual swaps

Yes

Dated futures

No

Options

No

CCXT lists these order features for OKX(US): market orders, limit orders, stop orders, stop-loss orders, take-profit orders, reduce-only orders, editing open orders, canceling orders.

For perpetual contracts, use the full CCXT symbol so the settlement currency is clear, for example BTC/USDT:USDT. See the CCXT guide for contract quantities, position modes and leverage.

OKX(US) tips

  • OKX needs three values: put the passphrase in OKXUS_API_PASSPHRASE next to OKXUS_API_KEY and OKXUS_API_SECRET.

  • Pick the CCXT id that matches where you signed up: okxus for app.okx.com accounts (API host us.okx.com), myokx for my.okx.com accounts (API host eea.okx.com) and okx for other OKX accounts. OKX says the default openapi.okx.com host does not work for app.okx.com or my.okx.com accounts.

  • If a key has Trade permission but no IP allowlist, OKX lets it expire after 14 days without use. Add your bot’s IP to avoid this. Demo keys do not expire this way.

  • OKX suggests one key per tool, so you can turn one off without touching the others. If a key may have leaked, delete it first, then make a new one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a OKX(US) trading bot in Python?

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

Does OKX(US) have a testnet?

Yes. Set OKXUS_SANDBOX=true and use keys from the OKX(US) testnet.

Which API permissions does a OKX(US) bot need?

Turn on Read and Trade. Leave Withdraw off. A bot never needs to move money out of your account. OKX notes that Trade also covers funding transfers and settings, so keep the key private.

Can an AI agent trade on OKX(US) 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 OKX(US) perpetual futures with LumiBot?

CCXT lists perpetual swaps for this exchange. Use the full contract symbol, such as BTC/USDT:USDT.

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 OKX(US) 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