# Arcus trading bot setup: API keys, testnet and fees

> How to run a trading bot on Arcus: what its API keys can do, testnet, fees, rate limits and who's restricted. Sourced from Arcus's own docs.

Canonical: https://tradingagentstack.com/arcus-trading-bot/

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Deploy · bot setup guide · from Arcus's own docs, checked Nov 10, 2026

# Arcus trading bot setup (2026): keys, testnet, fees and limits

8 steps to run a trading bot or AI agent on Arcus without handing it more power than it needs. Arcus's bot keys can trade but can't withdraw.
[Start the setup](#setup)[Compare all 10 exchanges](https://tradingagentstack.com/best-perp-dex-for-trading-bots/)

**68%**[Safety score](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/arcus/)
**API keys trade, can't withdraw**Bot key
**Yes**Testnet
**Not in the docs**Base fees (maker / taker)

**What it is:** Order-book perps and tokenized stocks on Robinhood Chain, from the team behind dYdX; orders are matched on Arcus's own servers and funds sit in on-chain contracts.

**Watch out:** Live only since July 2026, fee rates aren't in the docs, and one company runs the matching engine.

| Safety score | [Safety 68%](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/arcus/) |
| --- | --- |
| Bot key | API keys trade, can't withdraw [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/api-reference/exchange/submit-withdrawal) |
| Testnet | Yes [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/guides/fund-testnet-account) |
| Base fees (maker / taker) | Not in the docs [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/concepts/perpetuals/fees) |
| Rate limits | REST: 1,500 weight per minute per IP. Orders: each subaccount starts with 20,000 orders and 40,000 cancels, and the allowance grows with traded volume. [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/api-reference/rate-limits) |
| Anyone can check an account's results | Positions yes, fills unclear [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/api-reference/public/get-positions) |
| Restricted | US, Canada, UK [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/concepts/disclaimer) |
| Builder codes | A builder fee exists for stock-token spot trades only, capped at a level agreed with Arcus when you are onboarded; nothing is documented for perps. [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/concepts/spot-integration) |
| Referrals | Referrers earn a share of referees' trading fees on a published schedule; referred traders get 5% off fees. [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/concepts/perpetuals/fees) |

## Set up a bot on Arcus, step by step

1. **Make sure you're on the real site.** Fake trading sites and bots copy every big exchange. Before you connect a wallet, use the official app at [app.arcus.xyz](https://tradingagentstack.com/go/arcus/?from=/arcus-trading-bot/) Referral link where available · [disclosure](https://tradingagentstack.com/disclosure/).

2. **Give the bot its own account.** Put the bot in a separate sub-account or wallet with only the money it needs, so a bug or a leaked key can't reach the rest.

3. **Create the bot's key.** Use a key that can trade but not send money out. Keys made through the public API are trade-only and expire on a date you set. Withdrawing takes your wallet's own signature (or a key Arcus has specially enabled), and money only goes back to your own address. A key can be tied to one of ten subaccounts. [docs](https://docs.arcus.xyz/api-reference/exchange/submit-withdrawal)

4. **Run it on testnet first.** Public testnet on Robinhood Chain testnet (api.testnet.arcus.xyz); the app credits about $1,000 of test collateral. [docs](https://docs.arcus.xyz/guides/fund-testnet-account)

5. **Stay inside the rate limits.** REST: 1,500 weight per minute per IP. Orders: each subaccount starts with 20,000 orders and 40,000 cancels, and the allowance grows with traded volume. [docs](https://docs.arcus.xyz/api-reference/rate-limits)

6. **Count the fees.** Tiered by volume and set per market; the docs give no rates and point to the API (GET /v1/feetiers). Higher tiers can earn maker rebates. [docs](https://docs.arcus.xyz/concepts/perpetuals/fees)

7. **Put limits outside the bot.** A bot can't be trusted to police itself. [TAS Guard](https://tradingagentstack.com/guard/) adds order caps, phone approval and a kill switch in front of an AI agent, including Hyperliquid and EVM wallets.

8. **Let your results speak.** Any address's open positions can be read without a key, and there is a public trader leaderboard; the docs disagree on whether fills need an API key. [docs](https://docs.arcus.xyz/api-reference/public/get-positions) That means a bot's record can be checked by anyone. [Get your agent verified](https://tradingagentstack.com/get-your-ai-agent-verified/).

## AI agent tools

Official MCP server for the docs only: it searches the API reference and can't trade. [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/ai-tools/mcp)

## Code and audits

Trail of Bits (June 2026) and OpenZeppelin reviewed the on-chain contracts; the matching engine is run by Arcus and no source code is linked. [source](https://docs.arcus.xyz/concepts/exchange-architecture)

## Incidents, last 12 months

- Sep 4, 2026: Robinhood Chain, which Arcus runs on, stopped posting its transaction data to Ethereum for 14 minutes across two gaps; blocks kept coming. [news report](https://thedefiant.io/news/blockchains/robinhood-chain-never-stopped-but-its-blobs-did-stop-reaching-ethereum-for-14-minutes)

## FAQ

### Can I run a trading bot on Arcus?

Yes. Arcus has an API for automated trading. Keys made through the public API are trade-only and expire on a date you set. Withdrawing takes your wallet's own signature (or a key Arcus has specially enabled), and money only goes back to your own address. A key can be tied to one of ten subaccounts.

### Does Arcus have a testnet?

Public testnet on Robinhood Chain testnet (api.testnet.arcus.xyz); the app credits about $1,000 of test collateral.

### Can a Arcus API key withdraw my funds?

Keys made through the public API are trade-only and expire on a date you set. Withdrawing takes your wallet's own signature (or a key Arcus has specially enabled), and money only goes back to your own address. A key can be tied to one of ten subaccounts.

### Can US residents use Arcus?

No. Arcus's terms restrict: Not available in the US, Canada, the UK and other restricted places.

### What are Arcus's trading fees for bots?

Tiered by volume and set per market; the docs give no rates and point to the API (GET /v1/feetiers). Higher tiers can earn maker rebates.

## Compare

- [All 10 perp DEXs compared for bots](https://tradingagentstack.com/best-perp-dex-for-trading-bots/)

- [Arcus Safety score and tool page](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/arcus/)

Other exchanges: [Hyperliquid](https://tradingagentstack.com/hyperliquid-trading-bot/) · [Lighter](https://tradingagentstack.com/lighter-trading-bot/) · [Aster](https://tradingagentstack.com/aster-trading-bot/) · [dYdX](https://tradingagentstack.com/dydx-trading-bot/) · [GMX](https://tradingagentstack.com/gmx-trading-bot/) · [Paradex](https://tradingagentstack.com/paradex-trading-bot/) · [Extended](https://tradingagentstack.com/extended-trading-bot/) · [Pacifica](https://tradingagentstack.com/pacifica-trading-bot/) · [edgeX](https://tradingagentstack.com/edgex-trading-bot/)

Facts from Arcus's docs, terms and GitHub, read Nov 10, 2026; news reports are marked. Fees and limits change: confirm on Arcus's site. The app link in step 1 is a referral link (labelled); we may earn a share of fees, and it never changes a score. Not financial advice.

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