Wallet Setup

dYdX node write workflows use a Cosmos wallet mnemonic for signing transactions. Public indexer and chain reads do not require credentials.

You can export your secret mnemonic from the dYdX website:

How to export your secret phrase from dYdX

Environment Variables

The recommended setup is an environment variable:

export DYDX_MNEMONIC='your wallet mnemonic'
export DYDX_TESTNET_MNEMONIC='your testnet wallet mnemonic'

Public indexer and chain queries can run without a wallet by passing public=True.

Direct Usage

You can also pass the mnemonic directly:

from dydx import Dydx

async with Dydx.testnet('your testnet mnemonic') as client:
  await client.node.refresh_wallet()
  print(client.node.wallet.address)

When a mnemonic is omitted, mainnet constructors read DYDX_MNEMONIC and testnet constructors read DYDX_TESTNET_MNEMONIC.

Write Workflows

Order placement, cancellation, and raw transaction signing require a wallet. Use simulate=True while validating order flows against testnet.

Security Notes

never commit credentials to git
prefer public=True for read-only scripts
use a separate testnet wallet for development
simulate new transaction flows before broadcasting
rotate credentials after any suspected leak

Troubleshooting

If authenticated requests fail:

confirm the mnemonic belongs to a funded dYdX account
confirm your environment variables are loaded
check Error Handling for the client error model