OpenMM Exchange Setup

Interactive guide for configuring exchange API credentials in OpenMM.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Setting up OpenMM for the first time
• Adding a new exchange
• Troubleshooting connection issues

Supported Exchanges

Setup Workflow

Step 1: Create API Keys

Guide user to the exchange's API management page:

MEXC:    https://www.mexc.com/ucenter/api
Gate.io: https://www.gate.io/myaccount/apikeys
Kraken:  https://www.kraken.com/u/security/api
Bitget:  https://www.bitget.com/account/newapi

Step 2: Configure Permissions

Required permissions for each exchange:

MEXC:

• Enable Spot Trading
• Enable Reading
• Disable Withdrawals (safety)
• IP whitelist recommended

Gate.io:

• Spot Trade
• Spot Read
• No Withdraw permission
• IP whitelist recommended

Kraken:

• Query Funds
• Query Open Orders & Trades
• Create & Modify Orders
• No Withdraw permission

Bitget:

• Trade
• Read Only
• No Transfer permission
• Note the Passphrase — it is set when creating the API key

Step 3: Set Environment Variables

OpenMM uses environment variables for credentials. Add them to your .env file or export in your shell:

# MEXC
export MEXC_API_KEY="your_mexc_api_key"
export MEXC_SECRET="your_mexc_secret_key"

# Gate.io
export GATEIO_API_KEY="your_gateio_api_key"
export GATEIO_SECRET="your_gateio_secret_key"

# Bitget (requires passphrase)
export BITGET_API_KEY="your_bitget_api_key"
export BITGET_SECRET="your_bitget_secret_key"
export BITGET_PASSPHRASE="your_bitget_passphrase"

# Kraken
export KRAKEN_API_KEY="your_kraken_api_key"
export KRAKEN_SECRET="your_kraken_secret_key"

Or create a .env file in the project root:

MEXC_API_KEY=your_mexc_api_key
MEXC_SECRET=your_mexc_secret_key
GATEIO_API_KEY=your_gateio_api_key
GATEIO_SECRET=your_gateio_secret_key
BITGET_API_KEY=your_bitget_api_key
BITGET_SECRET=your_bitget_secret_key
BITGET_PASSPHRASE=your_bitget_passphrase
KRAKEN_API_KEY=your_kraken_api_key
KRAKEN_SECRET=your_kraken_secret_key

Step 4: Verify Connection

Test that credentials work by checking balances:

# MEXC
openmm balance --exchange mexc

# Gate.io
openmm balance --exchange gateio

# Bitget
openmm balance --exchange bitget

# Kraken
openmm balance --exchange kraken

Step 5: Test Market Data

Confirm market data access:

openmm ticker --exchange mexc --symbol BTC/USDT
openmm orderbook --exchange kraken --symbol ADA/EUR --limit 5

MCP Server Setup

To use OpenMM as an MCP server, add to your MCP client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openmm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@qbtlabs/openmm-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MEXC_API_KEY": "your_key",
        "MEXC_SECRET": "your_secret",
        "KRAKEN_API_KEY": "your_key",
        "KRAKEN_SECRET": "your_secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Only include env vars for exchanges you want to use.

Troubleshooting

"credentials not found"

• Verify environment variables are set: echo $MEXC_API_KEY
• Check .env file is in the correct directory
• Ensure variable names match exactly (e.g. MEXC_SECRET not MEXC_SECRET_KEY)

"credentials validation failed" (Bitget)

• Verify all three vars: BITGET_API_KEY, BITGET_SECRET, BITGET_PASSPHRASE
• The passphrase is set when creating the API key on Bitget

"authentication failed" (Kraken)

• Verify KRAKEN_API_KEY and KRAKEN_SECRET
• Check key permissions on Kraken API settings page

"Timestamp Error"

• System clock may be out of sync
• Run: sudo ntpdate time.google.com

"Rate Limited"

• Reduce request frequency
• Check exchange's rate limit docs

Security Best Practices

1. Never enable withdrawals — trading doesn't need it
2. Use IP whitelisting — restrict to your server's IP
3. Never commit .env files — add .env to .gitignore
4. Rotate keys periodically — every 90 days recommended
5. Use separate keys for testing — don't mix testnet/mainnet