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Connecting KuCoin

This guide walks you through connecting your KuCoin account to TradeStaq for spot, futures, and copy trading.

Prerequisites

Before connecting KuCoin:

  • A verified KuCoin account
  • Trading enabled on your account
  • For futures: Futures account activated on KuCoin
  • For copy trading: KuCoin Futures Copy Trading enabled

Note: KuCoin requires a passphrase for API keys, which you'll create during setup.

Creating API Keys on KuCoin

Log into KuCoin

Go to kucoin.com and log into your account.

Navigate to API Management

  1. Click your profile icon in the top-right
  2. Select API Management
  3. Or go directly to: Account → API Management

Create a New API Key

  1. Click Create API
  2. Choose a descriptive name: TradeStaq Trading Bot
  3. Create a passphrase (6-32 characters)
    • Save this passphrase securely - you'll need it for TradeStaq
    • KuCoin won't show it again
  4. Complete 2FA/email verification

Configure API Permissions

Enable the following permissions based on your trading needs:

For Spot Trading:

  • ✅ General (Read account info)
  • ✅ Spot Trading

For Futures Trading:

  • ✅ General (Read account info)
  • ✅ Futures Trading

For Copy Trading (Master/Follower):

  • ✅ General
  • ✅ Futures Trading
  • ✅ Copy Trading (if available)

Security Warning: Never enable Withdraw permission. TradeStaq does not need withdrawal access.

Set IP Restrictions (Recommended)

For enhanced security:

  1. Select Restrict API to specific IPs
  2. Add TradeStaq server IPs:
  3. Click Confirm

Save Your Credentials

You'll need three pieces of information:

  • API Key (public key)
  • API Secret (shown only once)
  • Passphrase (the one you created)

Important: Save all three credentials securely. The API Secret is only shown once.

Adding KuCoin to TradeStaq

Open Exchange Wizard

  1. Navigate to Dashboard → Exchanges
  2. Click Add Exchange

Select KuCoin

Choose KuCoin from the exchange list.

Select Exchange Type

Choose your trading mode:

TypeDescription
SpotTrade actual cryptocurrencies
FuturesTrade perpetual contracts with leverage
Futures CopyCopy trading mode (for masters/followers)
Paper TradingSimulated trading (no API needed)

Enter API Credentials

For live trading, enter:

  1. API Key - Your KuCoin API Key
  2. API Secret - Your Secret Key
  3. Passphrase - The passphrase you created

For paper trading, no credentials needed - just click Create.

Name Your Exchange (Optional)

Give your exchange a descriptive name:

  • KuCoin Main
  • KuCoin Futures - BTC
  • KuCoin Copy Master

Review and Create

  1. Review your settings
  2. Click Create Exchange
  3. Wait for the initial sync

Verification

After creation, verify the connection:

  1. Check the exchange status shows Active
  2. Verify your balance displays correctly
  3. Click Sync to force a balance refresh

Trading Modes

Spot Trading

  • Trade 200+ cryptocurrencies
  • No leverage
  • Lower fees with KCS holdings

Futures Trading

  • Perpetual contracts (USDT-M)
  • Up to 100x leverage (use with caution)
  • Funding rates every 8 hours

Copy Trading Mode

KuCoin's copy trading allows:

As a Master Trader:

  • Share your trades with followers
  • Earn profit sharing
  • Set your own sharing percentage

As a Follower:

  • Copy experienced traders
  • Automatic position mirroring
  • Risk management controls

Note: Copy trading requires Futures Copy exchange type in TradeStaq.

Troubleshooting

"Invalid Passphrase" Error

Solution: Double-check your passphrase. It's case-sensitive and must match exactly.

"Insufficient Permissions" Error

Solution:

  1. Go back to KuCoin API Management
  2. Edit your API key
  3. Enable required permissions (General + Trading type)
  4. Save and try again in TradeStaq

Balance Shows $0

Possible causes:

  • Balance is in another account (Main vs Futures vs Trading)
  • Need to transfer funds between accounts
  • API key lacks "General" permission

Solution:

  1. Check KuCoin account balances
  2. Transfer funds to correct account (Trading/Futures)
  3. Sync again in TradeStaq

Connection Timeout

Solution:

  • Verify IP whitelist includes TradeStaq servers
  • Or remove IP restrictions temporarily
  • Check KuCoin API status page

Security Best Practices

API Key Security

  • Create separate keys for different purposes
  • Rotate keys every 3-6 months
  • Never share your API Secret or Passphrase
  • Store credentials in a password manager

Account Security

  • Enable 2FA on KuCoin
  • Use strong, unique passwords
  • Monitor API activity regularly
  • Disable unused API keys

Trading Security

  • Start with small position sizes
  • Test with paper trading first
  • Set stop losses on all trades
  • Don't use maximum leverage

Next Steps

Now that your KuCoin exchange is connected:

Additional Resources

Start Trading

Ready to automate your trading on KuCoin? Explore available trading pairs and strategies:

Strategies available on KuCoin

Deploy any of these 12 automated strategies on KuCoin.