# Bitstamp API vs MEXC API

> MEXC scores 56.3 (C) to Bitstamp's 50.4 (D) for exchange market data. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-mexc
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-mexc.md (~4,850 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-04

MEXC API scores 56.3 (C) on agent readiness against Bitstamp API's 50.4 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Bitstamp API leads on reliability. Both do exchange market data.

- Bitstamp API: grade D, 50.4/100, rank #942 of 1349. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bitstamp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bitstamp.json
- MEXC API: grade C, 56.3/100, rank #744 of 1349. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/mexc.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/mexc.json
- Best crypto exchange APIs and MCP servers for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/crypto-exchanges/index.md
- All 210 exchanges comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crypto-exchanges/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Bitstamp API (D)

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.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 63 against 43

Watch for: No official MCP server, SDK, llms.txt or OpenAPI file; the registry's Bitstamp servers are third parties proxying public market data

### MEXC API (C)

Good for: Spot and futures for agents in served countries that want a vendor-built MCP server with read-only and confirmation modes.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 64 against 51
- Agent ergonomics, 64 against 58
- Security & auth, 65 against 60
- Payments & pricing, 31 against 20
- Maintenance & community, 75 against 28
- Transparency & trust, 58 against 53

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine

Watch for: No sandbox or testnet; only an order-validation endpoint


## Why the edge

### Maintenance & community: MEXC API +47

- 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.
- MEXC API (75): Read as a closed service. Last dated change 23 October 2026 in both the spot and futures logs (30). Spot entries on 14 August, 24 August, 11 September and 23 October 2026, futures on 1 September, 11 September, 19 October and 23 October (20). An API support Telegram group, a ticket form and dated changelogs; GitHub issues not read (10 of 15). The official SDK repository was last pushed in February 2024 while the CLI is current (10 of 15). The CLI ships platform binaries with no dependencies and no public repository or CI; the SDK is stale (5 of 10). 30 + 20 + 10 + 10 + 5 = 75.

### Reliability: Bitstamp API +20

- Bitstamp API (63): Read with the hosted lines on the HTTP API v2 at www.bitstamp.net/api/v2/. status.bitstamp.net is a Statuspage site with component history (20). Its feed for 5 August to 3 November 2026 has 17 entries, among them withdrawals failing on 14 networks for about 3 hours on 21 August, database maintenance with login failures and intermittent trading interruptions for about 1 hour 44 minutes on 23 September, a 39-minute halt of all markets on 5 August, and delistings and single-asset suspensions. One major (10). Rate limits with numbers, 400 a second and 10,000 per 10 minutes (15). Limit errors are named (400.002, 400.067, 400.068) but there is no Retry-After or backoff guidance, duplicate client order ids are allowed, and the only retry guidance is to check the order after a 500.016 timeout (8 of 15). No SLA found (0). Generally available (10). 20 + 10 + 15 + 8 + 0 + 10 = 63.
- MEXC API (43): Read with the hosted lines. No status page found; status.mexc.com does not resolve and llms.txt points to a maintenance-updates feed (0). No readable incident history (5). Rate limits documented with numbers, 300 weight per 10 seconds per IP, 500 per UID, 12 order requests a second per UID, 100 WebSocket messages a second (15). 429 and 418 carry Retry-After with ban lengths stated, a 5xx is to be treated as unknown rather than failed, an order-test endpoint exists, and newClientOrderId is optional with no idempotency promise (13 of 15). No SLA found (0). Spot and futures are generally available, futures order placement having reopened on 31 March 2026 after being closed since July 2022 (10). 0 + 5 + 15 + 13 + 0 + 10 = 43.

### Schema & documentation: MEXC API +13

- 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.
- MEXC API (64): No OpenAPI found; a Postman collection and the CLI's 25 capability reference files are the nearest machine-readable contract (5 of 25). llms.txt on mexc.com, written for assistants and pointing at the API docs and legal pages (7 of 10). Per-endpoint pages with purpose, parameters and permissions, without when-not-to-use guidance (13 of 20). Typed parameters with enums for order types, statuses and intervals (11 of 15). Examples on each endpoint and a separate error-code page with numeric codes and messages (13 of 15). Versioned API (v3) with a dated changelog of 72 entries to 23 October 2026 (15). 5 + 7 + 13 + 11 + 13 + 15 = 64.

### Payments & pricing: MEXC API +11

- 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.
- MEXC API (31): No machine payment protocol (0). Fees published without login on MEXC's own fee guide (20 October 2026) and a 2024 announcement, with a separate API futures schedule; the fee page itself is drawn by script (16 of 20). Public market data needs no key or card; trading needs a verified and funded account. Judgement call (15 of 20). A person must sign up in a browser, and futures need identity verification (0). 0 + 16 + 15 + 0 = 31.

### Agent ergonomics: MEXC API +6

- 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.
- MEXC API (64): Graded on the REST API with the CLI's MCP mode. Responses take limit parameters and the MCP read-only market subset is 22 tools, but a full spot MCP category lists 123 tools (15 of 25). startTime, endTime and limit on history, symbol filters on open orders (14 of 20). Numeric codes with messages, a 30035 order-limit code added 23 October 2026, 5xx guidance (14 of 20). newClientOrderId is optional with no idempotency guarantee; the CLI adds --dry-run and a confirmation step (10 of 20). Few required parameters; SDKs in five languages whose repository was last pushed in February 2024 (11 of 15). 15 + 14 + 14 + 10 + 11 = 64.

### Security & auth: MEXC API +5

- 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.
- MEXC API (65): Granular permissions (account read, trade, withdraw, transfer), per-pair restriction, up to 10 linked IPs, 90-day expiry without an IP, renewal and revocation in the account, 30 keys per account (26 of 30). A read-only MCP mode that hides write tools, a confirmation step before orders and transfers in the CLI and MCP, and --yes that agents are told not to add; nothing server-side confirms an API order (17 of 20). The API returns exchange data, and the CLI security page warns that agents may be led by web pages or files into unwanted actions (12 of 15). CLI confirmations are logged and reported to MEXC with no operator access described; an apiKeyInfo endpoint shows key settings (6 of 15). No security.txt, disclosure policy or bug bounty found; a proof-of-reserves page exists (4 of 20). 26 + 17 + 12 + 6 + 4 = 65.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Bitstamp API | MEXC API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 63 | 43 | Bitstamp API +20 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 51 | 64 | MEXC API +13 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 58 | 64 | MEXC API +6 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 65 | MEXC API +5 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 31 | MEXC API +11 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 28 | 75 | MEXC API +47 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 53 | 58 | MEXC API +5 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **50.4 · D** | **56.3 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Bitstamp API | MEXC API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Bitstamp Ltd. | MEXC (Comoros) Ltd |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  | stdio |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Proprietary hosted API under Bitstamp's terms of use, which our reader couldn't load | none |
| Tools exposed | none | 299 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-08-28 | 2026-10-23 |
| Terms last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-10-13 |
| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-06-01 |
| 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 | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read | yes |
| Popularity | none | 315 stars |

## Verdicts

**Bitstamp API.** Bitstamp documents its v2 API on one static page with numeric rate limits, per-endpoint key permissions, an IP allow-list, a kill switch and a sandbox. There is no official MCP server, duplicate client order ids are allowed, and the fee schedule, terms, privacy policy and country list render by script and could not be read.

**MEXC API.** MEXC publishes granular key permissions, per-pair key limits, weighted rate limits with Retry-After and a dated changelog, and its official CLI runs a read-only-capable MCP server with confirmation before any fund movement. There is no sandbox or status page, API futures orders pay a higher fee schedule, and the user agreement excludes the US, UK, EU members and others.

## Before you call either

### Bitstamp API

1. Mint a key with only the endpoint permissions the task needs and an IP allow-list; keep `revoke_all_api_keys` in reach as a kill switch
2. Treat `client_order_id` as a label, not a guard. On a timeout (500.016) fetch the order by client id before resending, because duplicates are accepted
3. Use a fresh 36-character nonce and a timestamp within 150 seconds of server time on every request, or expect API0004 and API0017
4. Stay under 400 requests a second and 10,000 per 10 minutes; 400.002 and 400.067 mean back off, and open-orders answers are cached for 10 seconds
5. Start on sandbox.bitstamp.net with the same paths, and read the fee schedule in a browser before quoting costs, since it is unreadable to a plain fetch

### MEXC API

1. Use a key limited to SPOT_ACCOUNT_READ and SPOT_DEAL_WRITE, the pairs you trade and your IP addresses; keys without a linked IP expire after 90 days
2. Start the MCP server as `mexc mcp spot --read-only` unless the task trades, and never pass `--yes`; orders and transfers wait for the person's confirmation
3. Call POST /api/v3/order/test before a live order, since there is no sandbox
4. On 429 or 418 wait for Retry-After; order placement and cancellation share 12 requests a second per UID, and repeated breaches ban the IP for up to 3 days
5. Treat a 5xx on an order as unknown, not failed, and query the order before retrying; set newClientOrderId so the order can be found

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Bitstamp API or MEXC API?

MEXC API scores 56.3 (C) on agent readiness against Bitstamp API's 50.4 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Bitstamp API leads on reliability.

### Do Bitstamp API and MEXC API need an API key?

Both need an API key.

### Can an agent call Bitstamp API and MEXC API without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for Bitstamp API. MEXC API runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-mexc.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-mexc.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "bitstamp", "b": "mexc"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare bitstamp mexc`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bitstamp.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/mexc.json

## Other comparisons with Bitstamp API or MEXC API

- [Bitfinex API vs Bitstamp API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitfinex-vs-bitstamp.md)
- [Bitfinex API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitfinex-vs-mexc.md)
- [Bitget vs Bitstamp API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitget-vs-bitstamp.md)
- [Bitget vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitget-vs-mexc.md)
- [Bithumb Open API vs Bitstamp API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bithumb-vs-bitstamp.md)
- [Bithumb Open API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bithumb-vs-mexc.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Bybit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-bybit.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Coinbase Advanced Trade API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-coinbase-advanced-trade.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Coinbase MCP server (Coinbase for Agents)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-coinbase-mcp.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Crypto.com Exchange API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-crypto-com-exchange.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Deribit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-deribit.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs dYdX](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-dydx.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Gate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-gate-io.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Gemini Exchange API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-gemini-exchange.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs HTX trading API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-htx.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Hyperliquid](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-hyperliquid.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Kraken API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-kraken.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs KuCoin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-kucoin.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs OKX API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-okx.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Uniswap Trading API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-uniswap.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-upbit.md)
- [Bybit vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-mexc.md)
- [Crypto.com Exchange API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crypto-com-exchange-vs-mexc.md)
- [Gate vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gate-io-vs-mexc.md)
- [Gemini Exchange API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-exchange-vs-mexc.md)
- [HTX trading API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/htx-vs-mexc.md)
- [KuCoin vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kucoin-vs-mexc.md)
- [MEXC API vs OKX API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mexc-vs-okx.md)
- [MEXC API vs Uniswap Trading API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mexc-vs-uniswap.md)
- [MEXC API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mexc-vs-upbit.md)
- [Binance API vs Bitstamp API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/binance-vs-bitstamp.md)
- [Binance API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/binance-vs-mexc.md)
- [Coinbase Advanced Trade API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coinbase-advanced-trade-vs-mexc.md)
- [Coinbase MCP server (Coinbase for Agents) vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coinbase-mcp-vs-mexc.md)
- [Kraken API vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kraken-vs-mexc.md)
- [Deribit vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deribit-vs-mexc.md)
- [dYdX vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dydx-vs-mexc.md)
- [Hyperliquid vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hyperliquid-vs-mexc.md)

---

Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp