API Keys Setup

You can get your API keys from the KuCoin website:

1) Create API keys	2) Set passphrase & permissions	3) Copy API key & secret

Environment Variables

KuCoin.new() reads credentials from the environment by default:

export KUCOIN_API_KEY="..."
export KUCOIN_API_SECRET="..."
export KUCOIN_API_PASSPHRASE="..."

from typed_kucoin import KuCoin

async with KuCoin.new() as client:
  info = await client.account.user_info()
  print(info)

All three are required for an authenticated client — KuCoin signs every private request with the key, secret, and a passphrase that is itself HMAC-signed with the secret. See Environment Variables for the full list.

Passing Credentials Directly

from typed_kucoin import KuCoin

async with KuCoin.new(
  api_key='...',
  api_secret='...',
  api_passphrase='...',
) as client:
  ...

Public-Only Access

Market data, symbols, and server time don't need credentials. Pass public=True for a client that never signs a request and works without any environment variables set:

from typed_kucoin import KuCoin

async with KuCoin.new(public=True) as client:
  ticker = await client.spot.ticker(symbol='BTC-USDT')
  print(ticker)

A public=True client raises AuthError on any private endpoint or private WebSocket topic, rather than attempting an unsigned request.

Keeping Keys Safe

Never commit an API key, secret, or passphrase to git. Load them from an untracked .env file or your environment's secret manager. If a key ever leaks, revoke it from the KuCoin dashboard immediately — a leaked key with Trade permission can place real orders on your account.