Bybit

Do you need an API key?

Create an API key

Create the key in your account on Bybit's website, under API management. What AlgoDesk does with it decides the permissions it needs:

• It reads your wallet balance, your positions and your open orders.
• It places, changes and cancels orders on spot pairs and on USDT perpetuals, and changes leverage.
• It never moves or withdraws funds.

So give the key read and write access with trading permission for spot and for derivatives (orders and positions). Leave withdrawal and transfer permissions off. A read-only key lets AlgoDesk connect and show your balances, but Bybit refuses its orders.

AlgoDesk reads the balance of your Unified Trading Account.

Settings

Add a Bybit connection as described in Setting up a connection. Its settings are:

AlgoDesk connects to Bybit's live exchange only; there is no test exchange to choose.

The Windows clock

Every request that uses your key carries the time from your Windows clock. Bybit refuses a request whose time is more than 1 second ahead of its own, or more than 20 seconds behind it.

If Bybit refuses your key because of the time, set the Windows clock right. See Keep the Windows clock right.

Real money and practice

With an API key, a Bybit connection gives you a Broker account: orders on it are real and cost real money. Every Bybit connection also has a Local paper account, for practice inside AlgoDesk against Bybit's live prices; its orders never reach Bybit. See Orders, positions and accounts.

What Bybit gives you

AlgoDesk shows and manages only the orders it placed itself. Orders you place on Bybit's website or app do not appear on the Orders tab, and AlgoDesk never changes or cancels them.

The Default lists

When a Bybit connection connects, AlgoDesk makes sure it has two instrument lists named Default: one of type SPOT and one of type FUTURE. Each holds whichever of these symbols Bybit lists for that type:

BTCUSDT, ETHUSDT, BNBUSDT, ATOMUSDT, DASHUSDT, SOLUSDT, LYCUSDT, TRXUSDT, DOGEUSDT.

So a new Bybit connection can chart these straight away, without adding instruments first. AlgoDesk checks the lists on every connect and adds back any of these symbols that are missing. You can rename a Default list: it stays the Default list, and the next connect does not make another. See Instrument lists.

Balances on the Assets tab

With an API key, the Assets tab of the Control Center shows one row per coin in your Bybit account:

The rows update as Bybit reports changes. The two lists at the top of the tab filter by connection and by sub-account.

Messages

If the connection fails, a message box titled with the connection's name says why.

When the line drops

AlgoDesk checks Bybit's streams every 20 seconds. If one stops answering, it reconnects by itself: after 1 second, then waiting twice as long each time, up to once a minute, for as long as it takes. See Connection status and reconnecting.