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: Separately Managed Accounts
→ See: Read-only access for non‑trading stuff
2. 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: Rate Limits
→ See: Connection Management
→ See: Accessing historical trades and orders using API
→ See: API documentation
3. Connecting to Deribit Servers
To ensure low-latency, stable connectivity, Deribit provides multiple infrastructure options tailored to institutional-grade access. Depending on your strategy and infrastructure, you may connect via public endpoints or through AWS-hosted environments for enhanced performance and co-location capabilities.
→ See: Server Infrastructure
→ See: Deribit AWS Endpoint Service instruction
→ See: Deribit AWS Multicast Service Instruction
→ See: Asia Gateway
4. 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: Market Maker Protection API Configuration
5. 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: Block RFQ
→ See: Deribit Block RFQ API walkthrough
6. 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 Specifications
7. Block Trading
Block trading is a specialized method for executing large transactions of option contracts or cryptocurrencies 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