Delegates & API Keys

A delegate (API key) is a separate key registered to your wallet. It signs orders on your behalf; the wallet keeps the funds. This is the recommended setup for bots and agents.

	Trader key	Delegate / API key
Trade (open/close/TP/SL/margin/TWAP)	Yes	Yes
Withdraw funds, approve USDC	Yes	No
Add/remove delegates	Yes	No
Referral, claims, LP vault, builder codes	Yes	No (caller-scoped)

The SDK enters delegate mode automatically when AVANTIS_PRIVATE_KEY’s address differs from AVANTIS_TRADER_ADDRESS.

Easiest path: the API Key Generator

Generate an API key on the Avantis API Key Generator; one wallet signature registers it. Then set the two env vars and trade. See Quickstart.

DIY registration

Register any key programmatically. The trader key signs one DelegateReq intent (used transiently, never stored); submission is gasless:

import time
from avantis_trader_sdk import AsyncAvantis, LocalSigner

async with AsyncAvantis(private_key=DELEGATE_KEY, trader_address=WALLET) as client:
    await client.account.register_delegate(
        delegate=LocalSigner(DELEGATE_KEY).address,
        expiry_seconds=int(time.time()) + 60 * 60 * 24 * 90,  # ABSOLUTE unix ts, in seconds
        trader_signer=LocalSigner(WALLET_KEY),   # transient, one signature
    )

expiry_seconds is an absolute unix timestamp in seconds (not a duration, not milliseconds). The API rejects anything that isn’t a future timestamp.

Registration is gasless and needs no RPC: it rides the fresh delegate key’s EIP-7702 smart account. Relayer mode only needs an rpc_url when you run the SDK with your wallet key as the signer; see Execution modes.

Check and verify

status = await client.account.delegation_status()
# {"isEnabled": True, "expiry": ..., "canDelegatedAction": ..., "canSignIntents": ...}

await client.account.verify_delegation()   # raises DelegationError if the key can't act

Call verify_delegation() at startup for a fail-fast bot: it is a no-op when the signer is the trader itself.

Revoke

await client.account.revoke_delegate(delegate_address)   # trader key only

Revoking kills any in-flight intents signed by that delegate. You can also revoke from the UI.

Getting Started

Migrating from v1

Trading

Account & Portfolio

Data & Compute

Earn & Grow

Advanced

Easiest path: the API Key Generator

DIY registration

Check and verify

Revoke

​Easiest path: the API Key Generator

​DIY registration

​Check and verify

​Revoke

Easiest path: the API Key Generator

DIY registration

Check and verify

Revoke