# Bitstamp API vs Kraken API (slim)

> Kraken scores 71 (BB) to Bitstamp's 50.4 (D) for exchange market data. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-kraken.md (~4,800 tokens) · this version ~2,630 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-kraken.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-kraken
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp · Updated: 2026-11-03
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)

Kraken API scores 71 (BB) on agent readiness against Bitstamp API's 50.4 (D), and leads in every scored category. Both do exchange market data.

- Bitstamp API: D 50.4, rank #1002 of 1349 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bitstamp.min.md
- Kraken API: BB 71, rank #159 of 1349 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kraken.min.md
- Bitstamp API, good for An agent that needs a long-running regulated spot venue in the EU, UK and US with a sandbox and per-endpoint key permissions, and can do its own signing.
- Kraken API, good for An agent that trades spot, xStocks, forex or futures on a person's Kraken account from a local machine, with paper trading to test first and an approval gate on live orders. Ahead on Schema & documentation, 80 against 51; Agent ergonomics, 79 against 58; Security & auth, 80 against 60; Payments & pricing, 40 against 20; Maintenance & community, 81 against 28; Transparency & trust, 65 against 53. Also Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better; Runs on your own machine; Free to start without a card.

| Category | Bitstamp API | Kraken API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 63 | 67 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 51 | 80 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 58 | 79 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 60 | 80 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 20 | 40 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 28 | 81 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 53 | 65 |

| Fact (where they differ) | Bitstamp API | Kraken API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vendor | Bitstamp Ltd. | Payward, Inc. |
| Transports |  | stdio |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Licence | Proprietary hosted API under Bitstamp's terms of use, which our reader couldn't load | Proprietary hosted service under Kraken's Global Terms of Service (30 October 2026). kraken-cli, which carries the kraken-mcp server, is MIT |
| Tools exposed | none | 152 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-08-28 | 2026-10-29 |
| Terms last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-10-30 |
| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-10-21 |
| Customer content may train models | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | couldn't be read | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | couldn't be read | yes |
| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read | yes |
| Popularity | none | 795 stars |

Why the edge:
- Maintenance & community, Kraken API +53: Bitstamp API 28 (Read as a closed service. The last dated API change is 28 August 2026, 67 days before the check (20). Only one dated entry in the last 90 days, after 1 July and 12 June (0). No public repository or issue tracker, support pages did not load and support.bitstamp.net did not resolve; a changelog exists (8 of 25). No official SDKs and no MCP registry presence of Bitstamp's own (0). No package to assess (0). 20 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 0 = 28.); Kraken API 81 (Read as a closed service with an open-source client. Changelog entry of 27 October 2026 and kraken-cli v0.5.1 on 29 October (30). Fourteen changelog entries since 19 August 2026 and CLI tags on 6 and 7 August and 28 and 29 October (20). A public changelog, api@kraken.com, a status page and a CLI repository merging pull requests at the end of October; issue replies not read (11 of 15). An official Rust SDK pushed in October 2026 and a Go module from January; the MCP server is not in the official registry (12 of 15). The CLI has release and secure SDLC workflows, deny.toml and a pinned toolchain; the SDK's CI not read (8 of 10). 30 + 20 + 11 + 12 + 8 = 81.)
- Schema & documentation, Kraken API +29: Bitstamp API 51 (No OpenAPI or other machine-readable contract was found on the API page or elsewhere (0). No llms.txt or Markdown docs (0). The single documentation page describes each endpoint's purpose and parameters, with notes such as the 10-second cache on open orders and the Travel Rule fields, but not when to use one endpoint over another (14 of 20). Parameters are typed with enumerations (margin mode CROSS or ISOLATED, margin multiplier 1 to 25, order types) and required fields marked (11 of 15). Signing examples in Python, Java and C++, and error families with numbered codes and explanations (13 of 15). Version v2 in the path and header, a dated changelog from 7 April 2023 to 28 August 2026, and a 410.001 code for deprecated endpoints, with no stated notice period (13 of 15). 0 + 0 + 14 + 11 + 13 + 13 = 51.); Kraken API 80 (No OpenAPI file was found for the REST API in the docs read; the CLI's agents/tool-catalog.json gives JSON Schema inputs for all 188 commands and the 152 MCP tools (15 of 25). The docs serve Markdown twins such as quickstart.md and the CLI ships llms.txt, AGENTS.md and CONTEXT.md (10). Endpoint pages and guides on order lifecycle, errors and rate limits say what each call does, with less on when not to use one (15 of 20). Enums for order types, time in force and flags, and enums and required fields in the tool catalogue (12 of 15). Python, Node.js and cURL examples, an errors guide and the CLI's error-catalog.json with retry guidance (13 of 15). A changelog of 120 dated entries with deprecations dated (15). 15 + 10 + 15 + 12 + 13 + 15 = 80.)
- Agent ergonomics, Kraken API +21: Bitstamp API 58 (Graded on the REST API. Order book grouping and transaction time windows size responses, but there is no field selection and no MCP surface (15 of 25). Offset, limit, since and sort on transaction history, `until_id` windows on order-data replay (14 of 20). `response_code` and `response_explanation` name the failure, such as 400.009 insufficient balance, 403.004 trading blocked and 500.025 insufficient liquidity (16 of 20). No idempotency, since `client_order_id` duplicates are allowed since November 2023 and the docs say only to check the order id after a timeout; the kill switch limits damage (8 of 20). Few required parameters, but no official SDK in any language (5 of 15). 15 + 14 + 16 + 8 + 5 = 58.); Kraken API 79 (The MCP server loads services with -s, defaults to no live trading, and its 152 tool definitions average about 520 characters; the REST API takes count, limit and pair filters but has no field selection (18 of 25). Cursor pagination on ledgers and trades since 30 September and 6 October 2026, with ofs deprecated (17 of 20). Prefixed error strings such as EOrder:Rate limit exceeded and EAPI:Invalid nonce, and the CLI's error catalogue says which to retry (17 of 20). cl_ord_id and validate on orders, destructive_hint and elicitation on dangerous MCP tools, no idempotency key on REST (16 of 20). An official Rust SDK at 5 stars, a Go module and example clients, HMAC-SHA512 signing with a strict nonce (11 of 15). 18 + 17 + 17 + 16 + 11 = 79.)
- Security & auth, Kraken API +20: Bitstamp API 60 (Revocable HMAC-SHA256 keys with per-endpoint permissions, an IP allow-list, single-use nonces, a timestamp window, sub-account scoping and a one-call kill switch for every key; no key expiry found (24 of 30). Permissions are chosen per endpoint and withdrawals can need Travel Rule address verification, but whether a withdrawal address allow-list exists sits in the unread account settings and no confirmation step is documented for API withdrawals (14 of 20). The API returns exchange data, not third-party text (10). No per-key audit log found; the account's transaction history is the record (4 of 15). security.txt names HackerOne's Robinhood programme but expired on 12 July 2026; no certification page was readable (8 of 20). 24 + 14 + 10 + 4 + 8 = 60.); Kraken API 80 (Keys with nine named permissions, optional expiry, IP restriction and nonce window, plus an OAuth sign-in from the CLI (authorisation code with PKCE, public client) that mints a no-withdrawal key expiring within 90 days or a read-only key (30). Read-only and no-withdrawal keys, position limits and pair allowlists in account settings, and MCP approval prompts for 33 dangerous tools (18 of 20). The API returns no untrusted content; the CLI docs warn that the feedback tool uploads a local file without approval (10). Keys and their permissions are listed in settings and ledgers record activity, but no per-call log for the operator was found (6 of 15). A valid security.txt, a bug bounty policy page, SECURITY.md and a secure SDLC workflow in the CLI; certifications not read (16 of 20). 30 + 18 + 10 + 6 + 16 = 80.)
- Payments & pricing, Kraken API +20: Bitstamp API 20 (No machine payment protocol (0). The fee schedule page loaded empty, the API's fee endpoints need a key, and no rate could be read, so fees are scored as not published (0, unchecked). The API is free, public endpoints need no key and the sandbox needs no money (20). A person must sign up in a browser with identity checks and mint the key (0). 0 + 0 + 20 + 0 = 20.); Kraken API 40 (No machine payment protocol (0). Maker and taker fees by tier published without login (20). Public market data, paper trading and the futures demo need no account or card (20). A person signs up, verifies and mints a key or approves the OAuth sign-in (0). 0 + 20 + 20 + 0 = 40.)
- Transparency & trust, Kraken API +12: Bitstamp API 53 (The editorial half. A closed service whose terms of use loaded empty for our reader, so the licence and clauses are unknown (8 of 30). The privacy policy loaded empty, so retention and data handling are unchecked (0 of 30). A 410.001 code marks deprecated endpoints and the changelog records replacements such as `trading-pairs-info` by `markets`, with no notice period stated (8 of 20). Subprocessors and data locations are in the unread privacy policy (0). 8 + 0 + 8 + 0 = 16.); Kraken API 65 (The editorial half. A closed service with clear terms naming regional Payward entities under California law; the CLI is MIT (15 of 30). The privacy notice was not read (5 of 30). The changelog dates deprecations and the terms carry a last-updated date (16 of 20). No subprocessor or data-location statement read (0 of 20). 15 + 5 + 16 + 0 = 36.)