How to Connect Bybit with a Read-Only API Key (2026 Guide)

Guides · October 27, 2026 · Satoshi Note

If you hold coins on Bybit next to Binance, OKX or Coinbase, the way to see them in one table is a one-time API key that a portfolio tracker can use to read your balances and fills. This guide walks through creating that key on Bybit and pasting it into Satoshi Note. It takes about five minutes and costs nothing.

One thing first: the key you create here is a Read-Only key. Trading and withdrawal permissions stay off, so the key cannot sell or move your coins. Satoshi Note tests every key before saving it and rejects keys that have trade or withdrawal permission. The longer explanation is in What is a read-only API key?.

At a glance

Connecting Bybit takes three steps: on bybit.com go to profile icon › API, click "Create New Key" → "System-generated API Keys", name it, set permissions to "Read-Only", add the Satoshi Note server IP and create; paste the API Key and API Secret into Satoshi Note under Settings › Connect exchanges › Global › Bybit; pass the "verifying account" check before saving.
Common snags: a key created without an IP address expires after 3 months, the API Secret is shown once, and the first sync imports only spot fills from the last 180 days, fetched 7 days at a time, in USDT/USDC pairs.
In Satoshi Note (TokenPost's free crypto portfolio tracker with read-only sync for 18 exchanges), Bybit holdings, average cost and P&L then sit in one table with your other exchanges.

Three things to know before you start

A key without an IP address expires after 3 months. Bybit will create one, but it is a three-month key. A key with the server IP registered has no expiry. The IP to enter is not your PC or phone. It is the Satoshi Note server, which queries Bybit on your behalf. The address is printed on the connection guide inside the app next to a "Copy IP" button.
Choose "System-generated API Keys". Bybit asks which kind of key you want. The one Satoshi Note uses is the system-generated key that Bybit creates for you.
The API Secret is shown only once. Close the page and it is gone. You would have to create a new key, so copy it the moment it appears.

Step 1 — Open the API page on Bybit

Sign in at bybit.com in a desktop browser and go to the profile icon (top right) → API. If you pick Bybit in Satoshi Note's in-app exchange connection guide, the same path, the server IP to register and the permission to choose are shown on one screen, so it helps to keep that open beside you.

Step 2 — Create New Key → System-generated → Read-Only

Click "Create New Key" and choose "System-generated API Keys". The form then asks for:

A name you will recognise later, such as "SatoshiNote".
Permissions: set to "Read-Only". Leave trading and withdrawal off. A portfolio tracker needs balances and fill history, nothing else.
IP address: paste the address you copied with the "Copy IP" button on the Satoshi Note guide. Filling this in is what removes the 3-month expiry.

Submit, and Bybit asks for email or OTP verification once more.

Step 3 — Copy the API Key and API Secret

After verification Bybit shows the API Key and the API Secret. Copy both now. The API Secret will not be shown again.

Step 4 — Paste the keys into Satoshi Note

Sign in to Satoshi Note at satoshinote.io, open Settings → Connect exchanges, stay on the Global tab and pick Bybit. Paste the API Key and API Secret. Within a few seconds the app verifies the account, pulls recent fills, and builds your records. Your Bybit holdings appear with quantity, average cost and unrealized P&L per asset, side by side with any other exchange you have connected. Keys are stored encrypted on the Satoshi Note server and used only to query the exchange. Because the first sync walks back through your fills 7 days at a time (see below), it can take a little longer than on other exchanges.

Once connected, you can also receive the same numbers as a daily email report.

What gets imported — 180 days on the first sync, 7 days at a time

The Bybit import has a known scope, and the same text appears in the "What is imported" box under Bybit in Settings › Connect exchanges.

The first sync imports spot fills from the last 180 days (about 6 months). The Bybit API returns fill history in 7-day windows, so Satoshi Note walks back one window at a time. Depending on your account type Bybit may return a shorter history.
After that, auto-sync keeps collecting new fills. Trades older than 180 days have to be entered manually in the calendar for your average cost to be right.
Spot fills only. Derivatives and margin trades are not recorded.
USDT and USDC quoted pairs only. Coin-to-coin fills such as ETH/BTC are skipped because their cost basis cannot be determined.
Fills are priced in USDT and converted to KRW at the Upbit KRW-USDT rate at the time of the trade.

Common snags

The key fails at the "verifying account" step.

The usual cause is the IP address. Open the key on Bybit, compare its registered IP with the server IP on Satoshi Note's guide page. A stray space copied with the key also causes a failure, so paste it again. If you lost the API Secret, creating a new key the same way is faster than searching for it.

What if I set more than Read-Only?

Satoshi Note rejects keys with trade or withdrawal permission during the test before saving. Change the key's permission to Read-Only on Bybit, or create a new one.

Trades from more than six months ago are missing.

That is expected. The first sync covers the last 180 days, and it can be shorter depending on your account type. Coins bought before that show up in the balance but have no fill history, so they are recorded as a deposit; enter them in the calendar at the price you paid and the average cost will line up.

FAQ

Do Bybit keys expire?

A key created without an IP address expires 3 months after creation. A key with the server IP registered does not expire. If a key has expired, create a new one the same way and replace it in Satoshi Note.

Why does the first sync take longer than on other exchanges?

The Bybit API hands out fill history in 7-day windows, so collecting 180 days means many requests. Accounts with lots of fills take a little longer on the first sync. After that, auto-sync fetches only new fills and is quick.

Can anyone withdraw my coins with this key?

No. A Read-Only key can view balances and fill history; orders and withdrawals are blocked on Bybit's side. Satoshi Note also refuses to store any key that has trade or withdrawal permission.

Using other exchanges too?

If you also trade on OKX or Binance, add a key for each the same way and everything lands in one table. We have separate walkthroughs for OKX, Binance and Upbit, and the in-app exchange connection guide covers all 18 supported exchanges.

Satoshi Note is free. Read-only API keys only. The site is satoshinote.io.