API Key (Trading) vs Exchange
Quick comparison to help you distinguish these two crypto terms.
API Key (Trading)
intermediate
risk
An API key is a unique credential generated by an exchange that authenticates a trading bot's programmatic access, enabling it to fetch market data and place orders without requiring manual login.
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beginner
fundamentals
A platform facilitating cryptocurrency buying, selling, and trading, either through centralized services managing transactions and custody (like Coinbase or Binance) or decentralized protocols enabling peer-to-peer trading through smart contracts without intermediaries (like Uniswap or dYdX).
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