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AI-native runtime for ItBit trading strategies

Author in Cursor, Claude Code or any AI IDE. Deploy from GitHub into a managed cloud runtime with first-class MCP control, logs and region selection.

By the TradingHost engineering team

Section 01 · At a glance

At a glance

Venue
ItBit (Paxos)
Venue type
Institutional crypto exchange and OTC desk
Asset class
Crypto
Supported products
Spot trading on USD pairs, level-2 order book via streaming WebSocket, institutional OTC for orders above $100k USD (agency-only)
Runtime model
Containerised strategy runtime
Deployment source
GitHub
Languages
Any language that runs in a container
Common integrations
FIX 4.2 (QuickFIX-compatible), Paxos REST v2, WebSocket market data, custom connectors
AI workflow integration
MCP control surface for Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI agents
TradingHost role
Runtime, deployment, logs, health checks, region selection, MCP control
ItBit role
Exchange account, API access, market access, execution venue
Affiliation
TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with ItBit or Paxos, its operator.

Section 02 · What ItBit offers

What ItBit offers

ItBit is operated by Paxos as a USD-pair institutional spot crypto exchange with an OTC desk for orders above $100k USD. The integration surface is FIX 4.2 (modeled on equity message types and QuickFIX-compatible) plus the Paxos REST v2 API. The legacy ItBit REST endpoints were deprecated in August 2022 with a 90-day transition window; all new integrations must target Paxos v2. Streaming WebSocket carries level-2 order book and trade events. FIX is the preferred path for high-frequency or low-latency institutional flow. Endpoint specifics change over time. The shape is durable; the precise rate-limit weights, fee schedule and OTC eligibility rules live in Paxos's docs.

Markets and strategy patterns

  • BTC/USD and ETH/USD spot strategies
  • FIX 4.2 institutional connectivity
  • QuickFIX-compatible execution flows
  • Streaming WebSocket level-2 order book consumers
  • Paxos REST v2 spot strategies
  • Institutional OTC routing (orders above $100k USD)
  • New York-based execution
  • Agency-only large-block flow

API surface

Product surfaces
Spot trading on USD pairs, focused on BTC and ETH. Level-2 order book is available via streaming WebSocket. Institutional OTC desk handles orders above $100k USD on an agency-only basis. The legacy ItBit REST API was deprecated in August 2022; all new integrations target the Paxos REST v2 surface.
Connection methods
FIX 4.2 modeled on equity-market message types (NewOrderSingle, OrderCancelRequest, ExecutionReport, OrderStatusRequest). Paxos REST v2 for HTTP integrations. Streaming WebSocket for market data. FIX is the preferred path for high-frequency or low-latency institutional flow.
Authentication
FIX sessions authenticate at logon with a SenderCompID, TargetCompID and a per-session secret negotiated during onboarding. Paxos REST v2 uses a signed API key/secret pair with HMAC-SHA256. OTC desk access is gated on an additional onboarding step beyond standard API issuance and is restricted to institutional clients.

For specifics, refer to Paxos

Specific endpoints, FIX message types, rate-limit weights, symbol lists and version history live in Paxos's documentation. Treat these as the source of truth.

Section 03 · Build with AI

Build your ItBit strategy with AI

ItBit is a FIX-first institutional venue. Pick FIX 4.2 for low-latency execution or the Paxos REST v2 API for HTTP integrations, author your strategy in an AI IDE, and let TradingHost run it. Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI-based AI agents all work with the same GitHub-native deployment loop.

  • Native FIX 4.2 / Paxos REST v2

    Direct FIX 4.2 connectivity for low-latency institutional flow, or the Paxos REST v2 API for HTTP integrations. WebSocket carries level-2 market data.

  • CCXT

    CCXT does not currently list a first-class ItBit / Paxos v2 connector. CCXT-based ItBit strategies historically rode the deprecated legacy REST API; new integrations must use FIX 4.2 or Paxos REST v2 directly.

  • Freqtrade or Hummingbot

    Neither framework lists ItBit / Paxos as a supported exchange. Strategies that need an ItBit leg will route through a custom connector or FIX adapter.

  • Custom connector

    Your own internal trading engine or QuickFIX-based FIX 4.2 adapter against the Paxos session endpoints, plus the Paxos REST v2 HMAC scheme for HTTP fallbacks.

Connection method support for ItBit

ItBit is institutional and FIX-first. CCXT, Freqtrade and Hummingbot do not list ItBit / Paxos as supported exchanges. Strategies route through FIX 4.2 or Paxos REST v2 directly. The matrix below maps connection methods to product coverage rather than framework support.

MethodSpotOTCRESTWS data
Native FIX 4.2SupportedSupportedSupportedSupported
Paxos REST v2SupportedPartially supportedSupportedNot documented as supported
CCXTNot documented as supportedNot documented as supportedNot documented as supportedNot documented as supported
Freqtrade / HummingbotNot documented as supportedNot documented as supportedNot documented as supportedNot documented as supported

✓ confirmed support per official docs. "no" indicates not officially documented as supported. "partial" indicates limited coverage (OTC routes are agency-only and gated on additional onboarding). Workflow links target /workflows/ pages currently in authoring.

TradingHost does not force a framework. It runs your project.

Author with AI

The integration paths above pair naturally with AI IDEs. The TradingHost MCP control surface closes the loop: AI tools can inspect deployments, review logs and manage the runtime alongside you, never the trade execution path.

Section 04 · Run on TradingHost

Run your code on TradingHost

ItBit provides the exchange and API access. TradingHost provides the production environment where your ItBit-connected strategy runs.

Instead of running strategy code on a laptop, desktop machine, generic VPS or manually configured server, you deploy from GitHub into a TradingHost-managed container runtime.

You

  • Your repo contains your code.
  • Your deployment defines how it runs.
  • Your strategy connects to ItBit.

TradingHost

  • Keeps the runtime online.
  • Surfaces logs and health checks.
  • Region selection.
  • Controlled deployment surface.

Deployment flow

  1. STEP 01

    Connect GitHub

    Authorise TradingHost to access your GitHub account.

  2. STEP 02

    Link a repo or bring your own FIX adapter

    Point TradingHost at your existing strategy repo. ItBit is a FIX-first venue, so the typical starter pairs a QuickFIX-based 4.2 adapter with your strategy logic; Paxos REST v2 fills HTTP gaps.

  3. STEP 03

    Deploy into a TradingHost container

    Pick a region (EU or US-East), supply the environment values your strategy needs (FIX session credentials, SenderCompID / TargetCompID, Paxos REST v2 API keys), and deploy. TradingHost builds your container from the repo and runs your strategy on managed Kubernetes infrastructure. No local Docker install required.

  4. STEP 04

    Monitor logs and health

    Watch live logs, health and runtime state from the TradingHost dashboard. The same surface is reachable through MCP from any AI IDE, so Cursor, Claude Code or a CLI agent can read deployment state and manage the runtime alongside you.

  5. STEP 05

    Update and redeploy

    Push changes to your GitHub main branch and TradingHost redeploys automatically.

Deploy

Section 05 · Operational notes

Operational notes for ItBit

Things that bite you when you actually run an ItBit strategy in a containerised cloud runtime, not in Paxos's docs, not in framework READMEs. Every claim below is quoted or paraphrased from Paxos's own documentation; the deployment-side guidance is from running these strategies on TradingHost.

  1. 01 · REST migration

    Legacy ItBit REST was deprecated in August 2022; new integrations target Paxos v2

    Paxos deprecated the legacy ItBit REST API in August 2022 with a 90-day transition window onto Paxos REST v2. Any integration still wired to the legacy endpoints returns errors and cannot be revived. The fix is to migrate to the Paxos v2 REST surface, which uses an API key/secret HMAC scheme rather than the older ItBit-branded auth shape. Legacy ItBit code samples on the open web are still discoverable; treat them as superseded and verify against the current Paxos docs before copying.

    SourcePaxos / ItBit API connection guide

  2. 02 · FIX 4.2 dialect

    ItBit's FIX 4.2 follows the equity-market message dialect

    ItBit's FIX is modeled on the equity-market message types rather than the foreign-exchange or rates dialects: NewOrderSingle, OrderCancelRequest, ExecutionReport, OrderStatusRequest are the core verbs. A QuickFIX-compatible XML data dictionary is published. Strategies migrating from FX FIX venues need to remap message types and field tags; the wire format is similar but the semantic vocabulary differs. Validate session handshakes against the Paxos sandbox before pointing production order flow at the live endpoint.

    SourcePaxos FIX 4.2 reference

  3. 03 · OTC routing

    Orders above $100k USD route through the agency-only OTC desk

    The ItBit OTC desk is the route for orders above $100k USD and operates on an agency-only basis. OTC access is gated on additional onboarding beyond standard API issuance and is restricted to institutional clients. A strategy that occasionally crosses the $100k threshold cannot simply post a single large order on the lit book; it has to either split the order into book-sized clips or route the large block through the OTC desk via the appropriate workflow. Encode the size threshold in your strategy's order-router config so the routing decision is explicit, not implicit in retry logic.

    SourcePaxos / ItBit overview

  4. 04 · WebSocket data

    Level-2 order book streams over WebSocket; trading still goes through FIX or REST

    ItBit exposes level-2 order-book depth and trade events through a streaming WebSocket channel. The WebSocket is market-data only: order placement, cancellation and status remain on FIX 4.2 or Paxos REST v2. Strategies that pair market-data consumption with order execution should treat the WebSocket as a read-only feed and never assume it can roundtrip orders. Heartbeat the WebSocket independently of the trading session so a market-data disconnect does not silently degrade strategy decisions.

    SourcePaxos API reference

  5. 05 · Sponsorship

    ItBit and Paxos run a regulated institutional posture, not a retail product

    ItBit is operated by Paxos Trust Company, a New York-chartered limited purpose trust company. Onboarding includes KYC and AML processes appropriate to that regulatory posture; non-institutional accounts are not the target user. If your strategy assumes self-service signup and immediate trading availability, route it elsewhere; ItBit's account-opening flow is institutional in pace and documentation.

    SourcePaxos / ItBit overview

Section 06 · Built for

Built for

TradingHost ItBit runtimes are best suited to:

  • Developers building strategies in AI IDEs (Cursor, Claude Code)
  • Quant developers with FIX experience
  • Institutional crypto desks routing through agency OTC
  • Systematic crypto traders on USD pairs
  • Teams moving from VPS hosting to containerised deployment

Connecting GitHub and creating your first strategy is free.

Section 08 · FAQ

FAQ

No. TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with ItBit or Paxos, its operator.

No. Your strategy code connects to ItBit and sends instructions according to your own logic, account permissions and integration method. TradingHost provides the runtime where that code runs.

No. ItBit API access is provided by Paxos. You are responsible for your ItBit / Paxos account, API permissions, credentials and compliance with Paxos’s terms.

No. TradingHost is the cloud runtime where your strategy code runs. We do not provide signals, AI prediction models or pre-built bots. With TradingHost you write or generate the strategy yourself (often with Cursor or Claude Code), keep it in GitHub as your code, and use TradingHost to run it in production. 3Commas, Cryptohopper and similar products own the strategy logic; TradingHost runs your strategy.

AWS and DigitalOcean give you raw compute. You handle OS updates, container orchestration, log shipping, secret rotation, region failover and uptime monitoring yourself. TradingHost gives you a managed runtime purpose-built for trading strategies: GitHub-native deployment, MCP-driven control from AI IDEs, log and health surfaces out of the box. If you want to operate the infrastructure yourself, AWS works. If you want the runtime as a managed service, TradingHost is the shorter path.

Yes. TradingHost runs Python strategies; pair them with a QuickFIX-compatible adapter or the Paxos REST v2 API. Java is also a natural fit because of mature FIX engine ecosystems.

Yes. TradingHost supports any language that can run inside a container. Java and C++ have particularly mature FIX engine ecosystems if FIX 4.2 is the integration path.

CCXT does not currently list a first-class ItBit / Paxos v2 connector. Older CCXT integrations relied on the legacy ItBit REST API that Paxos deprecated in August 2022; those paths no longer work. New integrations target FIX 4.2 or the Paxos REST v2 API directly. See the Build with AI section above for the supported integration methods.

Yes, if your project is designed that way. You can run multiple strategy processes or services inside one runtime, or separate them into different runtimes for isolation and operational clarity. Most FIX engines connect one session per process; spread strategies across processes when each needs its own SenderCompID. See the TradingHost runtime page for the multi-strategy model.

ItBit onboarding is institutional in pace; once you have a Paxos account with API access provisioned, point a TradingHost runtime at your strategy repo. The typical starter pairs a QuickFIX-compatible 4.2 adapter with your strategy logic. Linking a GitHub repo and creating a strategy is free; runtime plans are listed on the pricing page.

In your GitHub-controlled secrets workflow. TradingHost reads them at runtime through GitHub repository secrets, environment secrets or your own approved secret-management process. TradingHost does not need custody of your FIX session credentials or Paxos REST v2 API keys. See platform secrets for the full handling model.

No. Strategies should never need withdrawal permissions. Use scoped trading-only credentials and keep withdrawal capabilities on a separate manually-managed credential set never used by a runtime.

Yes. TradingHost supports MCP-based control for AI IDEs including Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI-based AI agents. AI tools can inspect deployments, review logs, restart strategies and manage runtime workflows. MCP is a control and observability surface, not the trade execution path. See the MCP control surface for the full picture.

Both. The MCP control surface works equally well from CLI-based agents (Claude Code CLI, custom MCP clients, scripted MCP calls) and from inside an IDE. The GitHub-native deployment loop also works without any AI tooling: a regular git push to your main branch triggers a redeploy.

The runtime detects the crash and exposes the relevant logs and health information. Where supported, the affected strategy can be restarted without disrupting other strategies running in the same container. Your strategy code is still responsible for safe error handling, duplicate-order protection and risk controls. FIX sessions in particular need clean logout/relogon sequencing to avoid resend storms after a restart. See observability for the logs and health surface.

Paxos deprecated the legacy ItBit REST API in August 2022 with a 90-day transition window. Integrations still wired to the legacy endpoints are no longer functional. Migrate to Paxos REST v2 or FIX 4.2; CCXT-based or community wrappers that pre-date the migration may need to be replaced rather than upgraded. See the Operational notes section above for the full guidance.

TradingHost runs in the EU and US-East regions. For ItBit, US-East is the natural choice because Paxos runs a US-based execution venue. See the regions page for routing and proximity details.

No. TradingHost is focused on production runtime and deployment. Backtesting belongs in your research stack, framework or AlgoBuilder.