Does Bitfinex have an API?

Yes, Bitfinex does have an API that allows users to access market data, account-specific information, and place trading or funding orders. However, if you're looking for an alternative that integrates with Bitfinex and 300+ other digital assets, consider using Mesh instead. Mesh offers a robust API for digital asset management, making it a versatile choice for developers.

About Bitfinex

Bitfinex, founded by Giancarlo Devasini and Raphael Nicolle in 2012, is a digital asset trading platform headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Catering to digital currency traders and global liquidity providers, Bitfinex offers advanced trading features and is known for its high digital asset trading volume. With a team of 51-100 employees, the company focuses on providing support, tools, and innovation for professional traders and liquidity providers worldwide.

General usage

Key aspects of Bifinex’s API include:

REST API: Suitable for building applications with REST endpoints. However, it has rate limits that restrict data retrieval volume within a certain timeframe.
WebSocket API: Recommended for maximum utility, this API allows up to 5 authenticated connections every 15 seconds and 20 public connections per minute. Each connection can support up to 25 different channels, offering greater data access without the rate limits of REST.

Rate Limits

The Bitfinex REST API rate limits are:

Rate Limits Range:
Between 10 and 90 requests per minute, depending on the endpoint.
Rate Limit Duration:
Blocked for 60 seconds upon exceeding the limit.
Error Response:
JSON response {"error": "ERR_RATE_LIMIT"} when rate limited.

Authentication

This is how you authenticate your Bitfinex API:

Create a Bitfinex account and log in.
Navigate to the "API key management page" to generate a new set of API keys, selecting the appropriate permissions for your needs.
Use the generated API keys to authenticate your requests to the REST or WebSocket API, following the instructions on the "Authenticated Endpoints (REST)" and "Authenticated Channels (WS)" pages.
Generate a nonce for each authenticated request, ensuring it is strictly increasing. You can use the current UNIX timestamp as the nonce.
If using multiple HTTP or WebSocket connections for authenticated requests, create separate API keys for each client to avoid nonce errors.

Errors

Here is the most common API error for Bitfinex:

ERR_RATE_LIMIT: This error occurs when an IP address exceeds the rate limit for the REST API. To troubleshoot, wait for the 60-second block to be lifted and ensure that the number of requests per minute is within the allowed limit.

Recent changes

Here are five of the most recent changes to the Bitfinex API:

v2019-08-19: Upgrade rest endpoint: https://api.bitfinex.com/v2/auth/r/positions/audit. Fields added: TYPE, COLLATERAL, COLLATERAL_MIN, and META.
v2018-06-21: Support for more granular filtering (trading-tBTCUSD, funding-fUSD, ...).
v2018-06-08: Support for TIF (Time-In-Force) for order submission and update via Websocket (oc and ou messages). This version only supports a DateTime format ('2020-01-01 10:45:23').
v2018-06-06: Performance increase on order cancellation via Websocket (oc message).
v2018-04-19: New RESTv2 ledger entries endpoint and new RESTv2 exchange rate endpoint. Account ledger entries (wallet movements) can now be accessed via a POST request on /v2/auth/r/ledgers/{currency}/hist. The real-time exchange rate between any two currencies can be accessed via a POST request on /v2/calc/fx.

An alternative to the Bitfinex API

Mesh is a great pick over Bitfinex's API, especially for developers and companies who want an easy and all-in-one way to deal with cryptocurrency transactions. Here are some reasons why using Mesh's integrations is a better option:

Broad Connectivity: With a single integration, Mesh connects to over 300 brokerages, exchanges, and wallets, providing extensive flexibility and choice for your customers.
Simplified Asset Management: Mesh simplifies the process of depositing assets, allowing transfers from various sources directly within the app for enhanced user convenience.

Start with Mesh today and experience the ease and efficiency of their cutting-edge API in your digital asset endeavors.