Are API Keys Safe in a Crypto Trading Terminal?

A trading terminal needs permission to trade for you, so the question “are my API keys safe?” is the right first question. The honest answer has layers. Where the keys are stored matters. What the keys are allowed to do matters more. And what happens when you move to a new device matters too.

Where are my API keys stored?

Ninja Terminal is non-custodial. Orders execute on your own exchange account through its API, and funds never move to Ninja Terminal. The credentials that allow this stay with you.

• Keys are encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM through the Web Crypto API, using a fresh random salt and nonce for every encryption.
• The encrypted data is stored on your device. Connection services process API key identifiers and signed requests. API key identifiers can be stored for account routing and broker checks.
• The encryption key comes from your signed-in session. It is held in memory while you use the app and is not written to disk. If the app cannot unlock saved accounts, it shows a banner with retry, sign in again, and remove options.
• Your API secret signs requests inside your browser. The signed requests are relayed through Ninja Terminal’s proxy, so exchanges see traffic from fixed IP addresses, not your home address.

What this does not do: it cannot protect a device that already has malware, and it cannot restore keys after you clear browser storage. Keep a backup.

Which key permissions should I use?

Create a key that can read and trade, and nothing else. Each setup guide in the app says so.

Exchange	What setup tells you
Binance	Keep Reading enabled, enable Spot or Futures trading, leave withdrawal off
OKX	Add Read and Trade, keep Withdraw off, keep the passphrase you created
Bybit	Choose Read-Write, enable Orders, Positions, and Trade under Unified Trading, leave withdrawal off
Hyperliquid	Create a dedicated API wallet. It can trade without withdrawal permission. Never use your main wallet’s private key

Exchange screens change. The in-app guides link to each exchange’s own instructions, and the step-by-step pages are Binance, OKX, Bybit, and Hyperliquid. For a full checklist, see the API key security checklist.

What does the IP whitelist do?

For Binance, OKX, and Bybit, the setup guide includes a step called Add your trusted IP addresses. It shows the exact addresses to copy, with one button, and tells you where to paste them on the exchange. Once pinned, the exchange rejects the key from any other address. A stolen key then fails outside Ninja Terminal’s addresses. The Hyperliquid setup has no IP step. Its API wallet is a separate signing key that can trade but cannot withdraw, and you choose how long it stays valid. See IP whitelist.

How does device transfer work?

Transfer moves your connected accounts from one device to another without typing keys again. The flow:

1. On the source device, choose Transfer all accounts. A QR code and a link appear, each with an expiry countdown. They carry no exchange data.
2. On the new device, scan the QR code or paste the link.
3. Both screens show the same 4-digit code. You confirm that they match.
4. The new device shows a one-time 6-digit PIN, valid for 60 seconds. You type it on the source device. Three wrong attempts end the session.
5. The source device sends the encrypted bundle. The new device decrypts it and saves it locally. Accounts already present are skipped.

Under the hood, the two devices agree on a key with X25519, mix in the PIN using Argon2id, and encrypt the bundle with AES-256-GCM. The server only relays encrypted messages. Because it never learns the PIN, a stolen link alone is not enough.

How do encrypted backups work?

In Settings, Data, the Exchange Account Backup card exports your accounts to a file. You choose a passphrase of at least 12 characters, and the file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a key derived from it with PBKDF2-SHA256 at 600,000 iterations. Importing decrypts the file and adds accounts that are not already present. Store the file offline, and do not lose the passphrase, because no one can recover it for you.

How do I manage accounts day to day?

You can connect several accounts per exchange and give each a nickname. From an account card you can rename it, disable it so it never connects, disconnect and reconnect it, export it to another device, or remove it. Disabled accounts keep their saved credentials. Smart routing uses only enabled, unlocked, connected accounts. A balance visibility toggle hides amounts on screen.

Security is a shared job. Use trade-only keys, pin the IPs, protect your Ninja Squad login, and keep your device clean. Nothing here is a guarantee against loss.