Exchange Setup

Kraken API Setup

How to generate a Kraken API key with the correct permissions and connect it to TradingForge.

Kraken is a well-established exchange known for its security and range of supported trading pairs. TradingForge supports Kraken for spot trading via its REST API. This guide walks you through generating an API key on Kraken and connecting it to TradingForge.

Do not enable "Withdraw Funds" permission on your Kraken API key. TradingForge never requires withdrawal access. Keeping this permission disabled protects your funds even in the unlikely event that your API key is compromised.

Creating Your Kraken API Key

Go to kraken.com and log in to your account.

Navigate to the API section

Go to Settings → Security → API. This is where all your Kraken API keys are managed.

Click "Generate new key"

Click the Generate new key button to begin the key creation process.

Enter a key description

In the description field, enter a name such as TradingForge to identify this key. This is for your reference only.

Set the required key permissions

Enable the following permissions exactly. Do not enable anything else.

Leave Withdraw Funds disabled

Ensure Withdraw Funds is unchecked. This is the most important permission to keep disabled for any trading bot key.

Set an optional expiry date

Kraken allows you to set an expiry date for the API key, after which it will automatically become invalid. This is a good security practice. Leave it blank if you prefer a key with no automatic expiry and manage rotation manually.

Click Generate Key

Click the Generate Key button to create the API key.

Copy the API Key and Private Key

Kraken will display your API Key and Private Key. Note that Kraken calls the secret the "Private Key" — this is the same as what other exchanges call the "Secret Key". Copy both values and store them securely.

Add credentials to TradingForge

In TradingForge, go to Settings → Exchange. Select Kraken from the exchange dropdown. Paste your API Key and Private Key into the respective fields and click Save.

Required Permissions

When creating your Kraken API key, enable the following permissions and no others:

Permission	Required	Notes
Query Funds	Yes	Required to read account balances
Query Open Orders & Trades	Yes	Required to monitor active orders and positions
Query Closed Orders & Trades	Yes	Required for trade history and P&L tracking
Create & Modify Orders	Yes	Required to open trades and place safety orders
Cancel & Close Orders	Yes	Required to close trades and cancel pending orders
Withdraw Funds	NEVER	Never enable — TradingForge does not require it

Private Key vs Secret Key

Kraken uses the term Private Key for what most other exchanges call a Secret Key or API Secret. They refer to the same thing — the second half of the API credential pair. When entering credentials in TradingForge, paste your Kraken Private Key into the Secret Key field.

Kraken Rate Limits

Kraken enforces stricter API rate limits compared to some other supported exchanges. TradingForge automatically respects Kraken's rate limits by throttling requests appropriately. You do not need to configure anything extra — the engine handles this internally to avoid triggering API bans.

If you notice slower responsiveness on Kraken compared to other exchanges, this is normal and expected behaviour due to the rate limit constraints imposed by the exchange.

Verifying the Connection

After saving your credentials in TradingForge, the exchange status indicator on the dashboard should turn green. If it remains red, the most common causes are:

›Missing one or more required permissions on the Kraken API key
›Incorrect API Key or Private Key — check for extra spaces or truncation
›The key has expired if you set an expiry date during creation

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