Giordano Salvatori, founder of STA · 01/11/2026 · 5 min read
A signals service doesn't get into your account with your password. It uses an API key, a pair of codes that you create yourself inside OKX, choosing what the service can do and what it can't. It's a bit like giving the keys to your house to someone you trust, but only the keys to certain rooms, and with the option to change the lock whenever you want.
If you don't yet have a clear idea of what a signal contains, start with the guide to AI trading signals: entry, stop and target and how to read them. Here we cover what comes next, that is, what happens when you connect a service to your OKX account.
According to the OKX documentation, an API key can have three permissions, and they are independent of one another.
| Permission | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Read | Seeing the account's balance, positions and orders. It does not allow moving anything. |
| Trading | Placing and cancelling orders. It does not allow moving funds out of the account. |
| Withdrawal | Moving funds from the account to other addresses. It is the most sensitive permission. |
A signals service that operates your account needs read, to see what's happening, and trading, to open and close trades. Withdrawal is another story, and deserves a section of its own.
The STA key has all three permissions, each with a distinct use. Read is for seeing the account, trading is used only for the cards you confirm, and withdrawal serves only to collect the STA fee accrued on the days you close in profit, within the limits of that amount. The standard price list is 18% of the positive net result of each day, with no offsetting of losses; in the launch phase, which began on October 16, 2026, fees are temporarily disabled, even in REAL.
To put it plainly: the withdrawal permission exists, and it's right that you know about it before connecting anything. The funds stay in your OKX account, STA does not hold them, and you can revoke the key at any time. If you want to see all of this explained in detail, there is the page on the security.
Whichever service you connect, there are habits that reduce the risks. Here they are, in order.
A rule that always holds: no serious service will ever ask you for passwords, verification codes or the key codes in a chat or by email. If someone does, stop.
A few questions are enough to understand who you are dealing with. Who runs the service and where do you find its details? Which permissions does it ask for, and what is each one for, written on a public page? Where do the funds stay? Is there a track record of results you can check yourself, including the losing trades? And how much does it really cost, with a clear figure and not a promise?
If even one answer is missing or goes around in circles, the simplest path is not to connect. On how to recognize who promises too much, there is the guide to the serious trading platform.
No, and not because of a technical problem. A signal remains a proposed trade: it can close at a loss, and with leverage the loss can exceed what you thought you were risking. Before giving a service access in REAL, it's wise to have seen how it behaves with play money, for a period long enough to include some bad days too. If you want a picture of what it can and can't do, read the guide to the automated trading and the one on the risk management.
The right step is the DEMO: the same real prices, the same cards, no money at stake. The complete path, from the basics onward, is in the guide to mindful online trading.
STA is a card service for crypto and US stocks on OKX. Ten artificial intelligence agents analyze 175 markets on OKX Europe, including 44 US stocks and ETFs, twice a day, with a debate between a Bull and a Bear. Every card has its stop and the funds stay in your OKX account. The keys are encrypted on our servers, you test them when you connect and you see right away which permissions they have. The track record of the cards, losses included, is public on GitHub. For now, web version only.
The DEMO is free forever, with real prices and the same cards as the REAL. You need an account. The availability of contracts depends on the country where you live. If a service doesn't tell you clearly what it does with each permission, the most prudent choice is to wait.
Every card as soon as it closes, with the result and what STA learned from it. It's free and you don't need to sign up.
Follow the channelA DEMO account with virtual capital and real prices, the same cards as REAL users.
Try DEMO for free →This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Trading crypto-assets involves a high risk, including the total loss of the capital used. Numerical examples are for illustration.
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