Connect an Exchange
Published Jun 22, 2026 · Updated Sep 5, 2026
Exchange API connections are non-custodial: connect keys with read and trade permission only (never withdrawal), and funds stay on your exchange—AlphaFox trades only through the API keys you authorize. No account yet? Start from Supported Exchanges. Strategies need a trading connection; the entry is Strategy operations → Trading accounts in the sidebar. AlphaFox-managed Hyperliquid wallets use a separate custody model provided by Turnkey; see Core Concepts.
Which type of connection do you need?
AlphaFox supports three connection types. Paper Trading needs nothing but a starting balance, Binance Demo needs a testnet key, and a real exchange API key is required only once you want real fills.
| You want | Use | Requires |
|---|---|---|
| Practice without real money | Paper Trading | just an initial balance |
| Binance testnet practice | Binance Demo | a Binance Demo API key |
| Real trading | Exchange API | an API key from OKX / Binance / Hyperliquid / Aster / Bitget / Bybit / Gate |
How do you add a paper trading connection?
Add a Paper Trading connection, give it a name and a starting balance, then test and save. It needs no exchange account and no API key, which is why it is the recommended first connection.
Add
Click Add exchange, pick Paper Trading.
Name and balance
Something like practice and 1000.
Test and save
Test connection, then Save connection. Done.
How do you connect a real exchange API key?
Create the key at the exchange with read and trade permission only, paste the credentials into AlphaFox, and save it once the connection test passes. If the exchange enforces an IP whitelist, add the whitelist IP shown in the dialog before testing.
Create the API key on the exchange
Follow the tutorial link next to each exchange. While creating:
- Tick read and trade only;
- If the exchange wants an IP whitelist, copy the whitelist IP from the dialog (copy button provided).
Enter the credentials in AlphaFox
Pick the exchange, paste Key and Secret (OKX and Bitget also need the Passphrase). Everything is stored encrypted.
Test the connection
Permissions are checked and the balance is read. Only a passing test can be saved.
Optional: publish a paid signal source
For supported live connections, enable Enable signal source and enter an hourly price. Saving the connection then creates a public signal source with the trading-account name; credentials are never published.
Save
The connection appears in the list, ready for strategies.
Never grant withdrawal permission. If the key leaks, withdrawal permission means assets can be moved. AlphaFox shows a red warning when it detects one.
How is connecting Hyperliquid different?
Hyperliquid uses wallet signatures instead of API keys. You authorize from MetaMask or Rabby with two signatures, and your private key never leaves the wallet.
- Make sure your main wallet has deposited on Hyperliquid (holds USDC);
- Click Connect wallet and authorize with MetaMask / Rabby;
- Confirm both signatures (Agent + Builder Fee).
How do you manage existing connections?
The connection list shows each connection’s status, balance, and the strategy bound to it. A connection binds one strategy at a time, so an occupied one must be freed before you can delete it.
- On sync errors, open the health panel for the reason and hit Retry sync;
- One connection binds one strategy; occupied ones must be freed before deletion.
What if the connection test fails?
Work through the four usual causes in order: an incomplete key or secret, missing trade permission, a whitelist IP that was never added at the exchange, and a wrong passphrase on OKX or Bitget. Full walkthrough: Exchange Connection Failed.