Connect an Exchange
Published Jun 22, 2026 · Updated Oct 16, 2026
A strategy needs a trading account to run. Go to Account → Trading account. Exchange API connections are non-custodial: funds stay in your own exchange account, and the API key needs read and trade permission only, never withdrawal. The optional AlphaFox-managed Hyperliquid trading account is a separate, custodial model; see Core Concepts. No exchange account yet? Start with Supported Exchanges.
Which account should you add?
| You want to | Where to add it | What you need | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice without real money | The “Paper exchange” tab of the add dialog | Just an initial balance | Included paper slots first, then 0.01 credits/hr each |
| Trade with your own Hyperliquid wallet | The “HyperLiquid” tab of the add dialog | A browser wallet whose main account holds USDC on Hyperliquid | No strategy run fee; a Builder Fee on volume (usually 0.05%) |
| Trade Hyperliquid without a wallet | ”AlphaFox trading account” on the page | USDC transferred from your Funding account | No runtime fee and no included slot used, after start-time verification |
| Trade live on Binance, OKX, and others | The “Other exchanges” tab of the add dialog | An API key (read + trade only) and the whitelist IP | Included live slots first, then 0.07 credits/hr each; billing stops when the strategy stops |
The billing note at the bottom of each tab and Membership are the authoritative terms.
How do you open the add dialog?
Open the Trading account page
Go to Account → Trading account. The list on the left has two groups: “AlphaFox trading account” and “Connected exchanges”.
Click Add
Click Add next to “Connected exchanges”. A dialog titled “Add trading account” opens with three tabs (HyperLiquid, Other exchanges, Paper exchange) and starts on HyperLiquid.
How do you add a paper account?
Paper trading uses public market data and AlphaFox’s internal simulated fills. It connects to no real account and needs no API key, so it is the best first account.
Pick the Paper exchange tab
Under “Paper type”, choose Binance Paper or Hyperliquid Paper. Hyperliquid Paper always uses one-way net positions.
Enter a name and initial funds
The account name is pre-filled and editable. “Initial funds” defaults to 10000.
Save
Click Save config. Paper accounts need no connection test. The account appears under “Connected exchanges” in the Paper group.
How do you connect another exchange’s API key?
The “Other exchanges” tab offers Binance, OKX, Aster, Bitget, Bybit, and Gate. The dialog lists numbered setup steps; follow them in order.
Choose the exchange
Click the exchange. Each exchange keeps its own draft while the dialog is open, so switching does not wipe what you typed.
Create an API key on the exchange
In step 1, “Create an API key”, click Create API to open the exchange’s API management page. Binance also offers View tutorial, and Register (fee discount) opens sign-up if you have no account. Enable read and trade only; never enable withdrawals. For Aster, this step reads “Prepare an exchange account” and only offers the sign-up link.
Whitelist the IP (required)
Step 2 shows AlphaFox’s whitelist IP. Click Copy, then add the address to this API key’s IP access restriction on the exchange. Without this IP, the exchange rejects the orders AlphaFox places for you.
Enter the API credentials
Fill in the account name and the fields below. Sensitive fields are stored encrypted.
| Exchange | Fields |
|---|---|
| Binance, Bybit, Gate | API key, Secret |
| OKX, Bitget | API key, Secret, Passphrase (the one you set when creating the key) |
| Aster | API key, Secret, Wallet address (the Aster main wallet behind the key) |
“Use dual-side position mode” is on by default, letting one symbol hold long and short positions at once. Changing position mode usually requires no open positions or orders on the account. For Binance, OKX, Bitget, and Bybit you can also turn on Enable signal source, which publishes a free API Key signal source on save, using the account name as its public name.
Test the connection
Click Test connection. It passes when you see “Connection test passed. Exchange API credentials are valid.” and the “Permission checks” panel shows read and trade permission. If you change any credential after testing, test again.
Save
Click Save config. The account appears under “Connected exchanges” in the Live group and can be picked when you create a strategy. Saving before a passing test shows “Saving is blocked until a successful connection test.”
Aster has no Save config button. After the test passes, click Connect wallet & approve and sign the builder approval with the Aster main wallet behind the API key. The connection is created only after the signature is verified; no private key is needed.
Never grant withdrawal permission. If a key leaks, withdrawal permission means assets can be moved out. When a test detects it, the dialog shows a red “Withdraw permission detected” warning, the test does not pass, and you see “Withdraw permission detected. Disable the withdraw permission and run the test again.” Turn withdrawals off on the exchange, then test again.
How do you connect Hyperliquid with your own wallet?
Hyperliquid uses a browser-wallet signature instead of an API key. AlphaFox creates a dedicated authorization wallet (Agent Wallet); your funds stay in your wallet and the private key never leaves it.
Make sure the main wallet is funded
Authorization requires the main wallet to have deposited on Hyperliquid and initialized its account. If unsure, use Open HyperLiquid Portfolio in the dialog to check.
Name the account
Enter an account name on the HyperLiquid tab. Position mode is fixed to one-way.
Connect wallet & authorize
Click Connect wallet & authorize, then pick and connect your wallet from the wallet list.
Confirm both signatures
Confirm the Agent authorization and then the 0.05% Builder Fee authorization in your wallet. Progress shows below the form; when it finishes, the connection is created without a separate save.
How do you create a managed Hyperliquid trading account?
Without a wallet of your own, AlphaFox can create a Hyperliquid trading account for you. AlphaFox holds it in custody, a different model from exchange API connections.
Create it
Under “AlphaFox trading account”, click Create a Hyperliquid trading account. Once the status moves from “Provisioning” to “Active”, the account address appears.
Fund it
Select the account and click Transfer to move USDC in from your Funding account. Once money arrives, the agent authorization completes automatically; no manual retry is needed.
Use it in a strategy
With a balance in place, pick this trading account when you create a strategy. Click New trading account for more, up to 10; each existing account must be funded and authorized before you can create another.
For transfers, withdrawals, and how custody is secured, see Trading Accounts and Funding Account.
How do you manage existing accounts?
Select an account in the list to see its status (Connected, Disconnected, Permission error, Sync error), balance, and bound strategies.
- Edit account: rename it or change position mode; position mode is locked while a strategy runs. Paper accounts can change their paper margin, which clears the return curves of strategies using that account.
- Copy current API key: copy a live API key into a new exchange connection.
- Delete selected connection: blocked with “This API connection is used by a Trader. Delete or migrate that Trader first.” while a strategy uses it.
A trading account serves one running strategy at a time; once that strategy stops, another strategy can use it.
What if the connection test fails?
The usual causes are an incompletely copied key or secret, a key without trade permission, a whitelist IP never added on the exchange, and a wrong passphrase on OKX or Bitget. To work from the exact error text, see Exchange Connection Failed.