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

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

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

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

Order-book perps with zero-knowledge proofs settled on Ethereum; deposits sit in Ethereum contracts. A separate exchange runs on Robinhood Chain. Here's how to run a trading bot or AI agent on it without handing it more power than it needs. Every fact links Lighter's own docs, checked Oct 30, 2026.

**Watch out:** The zero-fee tier is slow on purpose; serious bots need Premium.

| Safety score | [Safety 68%](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/lighter/) |
| --- | --- |
| Bot key | Keys withdraw only to your own address [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/integration-guides/api-keys) |
| Testnet | Yes [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/getting-started/environments) |
| Base fees (maker / taker) | 0% / 0% (Standard) [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/trading/trading-fees) |
| Rate limits | Standard: 60 requests per minute. Premium: 24,000 weight per minute; order sends from 4,000 per minute, more with LIT staked. [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/reference/rate-limits) |
| Anyone can check an account's results | Partly: account snapshots and pools [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/integration-guides/account-data) |
| Restricted | US, Canada, UK and more [source](https://lighter.xyz/terms) |
| Builder codes | Partner attribution: an app can charge a fee the user approves with a wallet signature; the programs page caps perps at 0.1%. [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/programs/partner-attribution) |
| Referrals | Open to anyone: 10% of referees' fees (20% at Silver), and referees get 10% off. Paid weekly in LIT. [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/programs/referral-program) |

## Set up a bot on Lighter, 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, [check Lighter's official links](https://tradingagentstack.com/check/lighter/) (the official app is [app.lighter.xyz](https://tradingagentstack.com/go/lighter/?from=/lighter-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.** Know what the key can do before you hand it to a bot. Any API key can trade and move funds between your own accounts, and can withdraw only back to your own Ethereum address. Sending to anyone else needs your wallet's signature. Read-only tokens and maker-only keys exist. [docs](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/integration-guides/api-keys)

4. **Run it on testnet first.** Public testnet app and API (settles to Sepolia). [docs](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/getting-started/environments)

5. **Stay inside the rate limits.** Standard: 60 requests per minute. Premium: 24,000 weight per minute; order sends from 4,000 per minute, more with LIT staked. [docs](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/reference/rate-limits)

6. **Count the fees.** Standard accounts: 0% maker and taker, with a 300 ms taker and cancel delay and 60 requests per minute. Premium (for fast bots): 0.004% maker, 0.028% taker before staking discounts. [docs](https://docs.lighter.xyz/trading/trading-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.** Account snapshots with positions and PnL and every public pool are public; full trade history needs the owner's read-only token. [docs](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/integration-guides/account-data) That means a bot's record can be checked by anyone. We publish verified results for Lighter on [this page](https://tradingagentstack.com/lighter-public-pools/). [Get your agent verified](https://tradingagentstack.com/get-your-ai-agent-verified/).

## AI agent tools

Experimental agent kit in its official GitHub org (it can also withdraw); no official MCP server. [source](https://github.com/elliottech/lighter-agent-kit)

## Code and audits

Circuits and contracts are public (contracts under a source-available licence); the docs link 9 audit reports. [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/security/security-audits)

## Incidents, last 12 months

- Feb 25, 2026: A whale's ARC long was liquidated and auto-deleveraged; Lighter's LLP lost about $75K and Lighter capped ARC open interest at $40M. [news report](https://cointelegraph.com/news/whale-loses-8-2m-arc-squeeze-lighter-perps-liquidation)

- Dec 30, 2025: Users reported failed withdrawals around the LIT token launch; no losses or post-mortem published. [news report](https://thedefiant.io/news/defi/lighter-users-report-withdrawal-issues-after-lit-token-launch)

## FAQ

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

Yes. Lighter has an API for automated trading. Any API key can trade and move funds between your own accounts, and can withdraw only back to your own Ethereum address. Sending to anyone else needs your wallet's signature. Read-only tokens and maker-only keys exist.

### Does Lighter have a testnet?

Public testnet app and API (settles to Sepolia).

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

Any API key can trade and move funds between your own accounts, and can withdraw only back to your own Ethereum address. Sending to anyone else needs your wallet's signature. Read-only tokens and maker-only keys exist.

### Can US residents use Lighter?

No. Lighter's terms restrict: US, Canada, UK, China, Russia, Ukraine and several sanctioned countries; Robinhood Chain adds Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE.

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

Standard accounts: 0% maker and taker, with a 300 ms taker and cancel delay and 60 requests per minute. Premium (for fast bots): 0.004% maker, 0.028% taker before staking discounts.

## Compare

- [Hyperliquid vs Lighter for trading bots](https://tradingagentstack.com/hyperliquid-vs-lighter-for-trading-bots/)

- [All 9 perp DEXs compared for bots](https://tradingagentstack.com/best-perp-dex-for-trading-bots/)

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

- [Lighter official links check](https://tradingagentstack.com/check/lighter/)

Other exchanges: [Hyperliquid](https://tradingagentstack.com/hyperliquid-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 Lighter's docs, terms and GitHub, read Oct 30, 2026; news reports are marked. Fees and limits change: confirm on Lighter'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.

Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never affects rankings or facts. [Read our disclosure](https://tradingagentstack.com/disclosure/)

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