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

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

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

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

Order-book perps, spot and options on Paradex Chain, a Starknet appchain; account data is private by design. Here's how to run a trading bot or AI agent on it without handing it more power than it needs. Every fact links Paradex's own docs, checked Oct 30, 2026.

**Watch out:** Give its MCP server a trading subkey, not your account key, even though the setup guide asks for the latter.

| Safety score | [Safety 68%](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/paradex/) |
| --- | --- |
| Bot key | Trade-only subkeys with IP allowlist [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/api/general-information/api-authentication) |
| Testnet | Yes [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/docs/testnet-faqs) |
| Base fees (maker / taker) | 0.003% / 0.045% (API) [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/trading/trading-fees) |
| Rate limits | Orders: 800 per second per account; public endpoints 1,500 per minute per IP. [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/api/general-information/rate-limits/api) |
| Anyone can check an account's results | No, private by design [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/trading/privacy) |
| Restricted | US, Canada [source](https://www.paradex.trade/terms-of-service) |
| Builder codes | No builder program documented. [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/docs/xp-referrals/affiliate-referrals) |
| Referrals | Referrers earn 10% of referees' points (XP), not a fee share. [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/docs/xp-referrals/affiliate-referrals) |

## Set up a bot on Paradex, 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.paradex.trade](https://app.paradex.trade).

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. Subkeys can trade and read but can't withdraw, transfer or change settings; you can allowlist up to 50 IP ranges. Read-only tokens last from a minute to a year. [docs](https://docs.paradex.trade/api/general-information/api-authentication)

4. **Run it on testnet first.** Testnet app and API; each new account gets $1M of test USDC. [docs](https://docs.paradex.trade/docs/testnet-faqs)

5. **Stay inside the rate limits.** Orders: 800 per second per account; public endpoints 1,500 per minute per IP. [docs](https://docs.paradex.trade/api/general-information/rate-limits/api)

6. **Count the fees.** API orders pay Pro fees by default: 0.003% maker, 0.045% taker. App (retail) orders pay zero but come with a 300 ms delay and order caps. [docs](https://docs.paradex.trade/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.

## AI agent tools

Official MCP server that can trade (its setup asks for the full account key, not a subkey); a hosted MCP is market data only. [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/agentic-ai-hub/mcp/quickstart)

## Code and audits

Audits of the core contracts (Cairo Security Clan, 2025) and the bridge (Zellic, Trail of Bits). [source](https://docs.paradex.trade/chain/security/audit-pentests)

## Incidents, last 12 months

- Jan 19, 2026: A database upgrade wrote bad market data on-chain, BTC briefly showed $0 and mass liquidations followed; Paradex rolled the chain back and refunded about $650K. [news report](https://cointelegraph.com/news/paradex-refunds-650k-users-bug-liquidations)

## FAQ

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

Yes. Paradex has an API for automated trading. Subkeys can trade and read but can't withdraw, transfer or change settings; you can allowlist up to 50 IP ranges. Read-only tokens last from a minute to a year.

### Does Paradex have a testnet?

Testnet app and API; each new account gets $1M of test USDC.

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

Subkeys can trade and read but can't withdraw, transfer or change settings; you can allowlist up to 50 IP ranges. Read-only tokens last from a minute to a year.

### Can US residents use Paradex?

No. Paradex's terms restrict: US persons, Canadian persons and sanctioned places (terms, Feb 2026).

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

API orders pay Pro fees by default: 0.003% maker, 0.045% taker. App (retail) orders pay zero but come with a 300 ms delay and order caps.

## Compare

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

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

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/) · [Extended](https://tradingagentstack.com/extended-trading-bot/) · [Pacifica](https://tradingagentstack.com/pacifica-trading-bot/) · [edgeX](https://tradingagentstack.com/edgex-trading-bot/)

Facts from Paradex's docs, terms and GitHub, read Oct 30, 2026; news reports are marked. Fees and limits change: confirm on Paradex's site. No referral links. Not financial advice.

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