Deribit offers a range of advanced features tailored to institutional clients and users who require API access or programmatic control. This article outlines the technical configurations required to ensure a reliable and efficient account setup.
Notice
This guide builds on the First Steps article and is intended for users who have already created and secured their account, verified their identity (KYC), and funded their wallet. It covers more technical aspects of configuring and customizing your account setup for trading and integration purposes.
1. Account Structure
Understand how to structure your account and whether you need to create subaccounts for separating strategies, API access, or margin pools.
→ See: Account settings page
→ See: Subaccounts
→ See: Account Structure and Ownership
→ See: Read-only access for non‑trading stuff
→ See: Providing account data for auditors
2. Third-Party Integrations
Institutional and high-tier users can optimize their Deribit setup by integrating with Brokers, Custodians, or Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs).
→ See: Brokers
→ See: Voice Broker Setup and Client Onboarding
→ See: Custody Options
→ See: Separately Managed Accounts
3. API Access and Key Management
Deribit supports secure programmatic access through API keys, which can be configured per account or subaccount. Proper setup includes assigning permissions, managing expiration settings, and securing your credentials using symmetric or asymmetric keys.
→ See: Creating New API Key on Deribit
→ See: Asymmetric API Keys
→ See: API Authentication Guide
→ See: Rate Limits
→ See: Connection Management - Best Practices
→ See: API documentation
4. Connecting to Deribit Servers
To ensure low-latency, stable connectivity, Deribit provides multiple infrastructure options tailored to institutional-grade access. Depending on your strategy, you may connect via public endpoints, AWS-hosted environments for enhanced performance and co-location, or use multicast for high-throughput market data delivery.
→ See: Server Infrastructure
→ See: Multicast Developer Guide
→ See: Deribit AWS Endpoint Service instruction
→ See: Deribit AWS Multicast Service Instruction
→ See: Asia Gateway
5. Using the Deribit Testnet
The Deribit Testnet is a dedicated simulation environment where users can safely explore the platform, test trading strategies, and integrate with APIs without using real funds. It mirrors the main platform closely, making it ideal for onboarding, QA, and development.
→ See: Deribit Testnet
→ See: Depositing test funds to your testnet account
6. Best Practices
Learn more on how to use the Deribit API in the most efficient way, dive deep into technical details, and apply proven best practices to ensure smooth and reliable trading.
→ See: Order Management - Best Practices
7. Margin
Understand how margin works on Deribit and learn about the different margin calculation models. Test out our Position Builder to simulate your positions before trade.
→ See: What is margin?
→ See: Margin types and usage
→ See: Position Builder
8. Prices and settlements
Learn how Deribit calculates mark and index prices, and understand the settlement process that determines contract expiries and daily profit and loss.
→ See: Mark Prices
→ See: Index Prices
→ See: Settlement
9. Deribit Market Maker Protection (MMP)
Deribit’s Market Maker Protection (MMP) system helps institutional users manage risk during periods of high volatility by automatically canceling orders when predefined exposure thresholds are met. MMP settings can be configured via webpage or API.
→ See: Deribit MMP
→ See: MMP API Configuration
10. Deribit Block RFQ
Deribit’s Block RFQ system enables institutional users to negotiate large-size trades off-book with minimal market impact. The feature supports both GUI and API workflows and includes tools for creating, responding to, and executing quotes directly between counterparties.
→ See: Deribit Block RFQ
→ See: Deribit Block RFQ API Walkthrough
11. Deribit Mass Quotes
Deribit offers a mass quote functionality. This functionality allows users to place many orders (with some restrictions, hereafter called quotes) in a single request, and removes the need to have an order ID before amending or cancelling. The main strength of the mass quote is its ability to skip almost all risk checks that currently slow down order entry.
→ See: Mass Quotes Specification
12. Block Trading
Block trading is a specialized method for executing large transactions without affecting the market price. Ideal for institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals, it involves trading large volumes outside the regular market. This approach ensures smoother, more stable transactions by minimizing market impact and providing "book sweep" protection.
→ See: Block Trading