How to trade on Kraken
Use this guide to connect your Kraken account to Cryptowatch. Learn how to connect, find Kraken markets, and trade on Kraken via Cryptowatch.
If you have accounts on multiple exchanges, you can connect and manage them all on Cryptowatch.
You can connect your exchange accounts by generating API keys on the exchange site, then plugging those keys into Cryptowatch’s Exchange Keys page. See this article for some tips on API key security, if you haven’t already.
Cryptowatch offers a lot of tools that can enhance your trading on Kraken. You can:
Before we do anything, you will need at least a Starter-level Kraken account. You can sign up for one at Kraken.com.
In Cryptowatch, click the profile icon in the top-right corner, then select Exchange Keys from the menu:
Find the Exchange Keys link in your Account menu, in the top-right of any Cryptowatch page
The Exchange Keys page is where you can plug in API keys from trading- and portfolio-enabled exchanges into Cryptowatch:
The Exchange Keys page is used to connect your exchange accounts to Cryptowatch.
Cryptowatch connects to your exchange accounts using the public and private keys generated by the exchange. API keys generally come in pairs — one public key, and one private (like a crypto wallet). As you will see soon, these keys can be set up to allow or disallow different actions.
Click your profile menu in the top-right of the page, and select Security > API:
The profile menu is labeled with your first name.
This will take you to the Kraken API Management page:
Click
Add key in the top-right corner of the white box, then give the key a relevant description — like “Cryptowatch”, for example.You can set your permissions like this:
To trade via Cryptowatch you will need to check the Query Funds box, all boxes under Orders & Trades, the Query ledger entries box, and finally the Access WebSockets API box for the best performance.
We strongly recommend against permitting deposit and withdrawal actions to the API key. These actions cannot be performed on Cryptowatch and expose you to unnecessary risk.
You can use the Query start date/time and Query end date/time options to manage how far back or forward in your trading history the key can look. You may also use the Key Expiration tool to set a time for the key to stop working.
When you’re ready, click the Generate Key button.
If the key generates successfully you will see a page like the one below. If there was an issue, you will need to start over by generating a new key.
Your QR code and API keys won't look so blurry.
These strings of letters, numbers and symbols are your Public and Private keys. Copy the topmost “API Key” and paste it into the API Key field back on the Cryptowatch Exchange Keys page.
Copy the code labeled “Private Key” and paste it into the API Secret field on the Cryptowatch Exchange Keys page. Cryptowatch will automatically connect to your Kraken account once the second key is entered. You can find the Exchange Keys page again by clicking the profile icon in the top-right corner of any page on Cryptowatch, then selecting Exchange Keys.
A successful connection will change the box’s color and hide the key information, like below.
If you received an Invalid API Key, Unprivileged Key, Key Not Exclusive, or Unhandled error, visit the How to connect exchange accounts article for troubleshooting tips.
Success! Now you can place and cancel orders and manage your Kraken portfolio on Cryptowatch. If you’re new to Cryptowatch, try following the Onboarding guide to get acquainted with the interface.
Now you can use Cryptowatch to trade on Kraken markets!
A good way to get started is to visit the Markets page, then filter the list by exchange. Click the Exchanges drop-down list on the left and select Kraken. Alternatively, type “Kraken” in the search bar to narrow the exchange list down.
Now you will only see Kraken markets listed. If you want to view markets for a specific asset, use the Assets drop-down list to filter the results even further. Clicking any market here will open that market in the trading terminal.
You can select multiple assets on the Markets page to quickly compare markets.
Kraken traders can use Cryptowatch’s advanced charts to trade and perform technical analysis as well as track their funds alongside any other exchange accounts on the Portfolio page.
Check out these articles to learn more about trading and analysis on the Charts page:
These articles demonstrate the Portfolio page:
Cryptowatch’s alerts function is a favorite among traders as well. Check out these articles to learn how to set alerts for price, volume, and order fills: