How to Create a Platform for Buying and Selling Bitcoin Cryptocurrency

By 2019, the idea of a cryptocurrency business does not surprise anyone. But what to do? Mining loses profit, trading takes a lot of time and effort, some methods (like Bitcoin faucets) are a priori not profitable. Against this background, launching your own exchange platform is becoming more and more relevant.

Beginners have many questions about this business. Obviously, the cryptocurrency exchange has a lot of nuances, having missed that you can fail a lot. But any idea always has a beginning. In this case, there are many successful trading platforms. On their example, we managed to highlight key aspects that need to be paid attention to when creating the exchange platform.

Essence of Crypto Exchange

Without an understanding of the tasks of the exchange it is impossible to create a quality service. Here it is important to remember that Bitcoins and altcoins are decentralized, digital assets. Therefore, such a trading platform is practically the only way to buy or sell a cryptocurrency (if you do not take into account direct settlement).

Types of exchanges

Due to the high popularity of such platforms as Binance, Poloniex or Okex, many people believe that all exchange platforms are the same. But the variations are much greater. Turnover, types of orders and even data storage depend on them.

Thus, the crypto-exchanges are divided into centralized and decentralized. The first are characterized by the presence of management personnel, the collection and storage of personal user data and the storage of transaction information on their own servers. In addition, the purpose of creating a centralized exchange - making a profit. Examples of such sites include GDAX, Bittrex, Kraken and others.



There is no administration in decentralized ones (there are only developers who monitor stability and security). There is also no need to provide personal information, and all transactions go directly through the blockchain of the traded cryptocurrencies. Famous decentralized exchanges include Bancor, Bitshares, Loopring, Waves.

An important difference between these two exchanges, which you should definitely consider when developing your platform: there is no mechanism for adding fiat wallets to decentralized exchanges. Because they are less convenient and less popular among users.



The next branch is the administrator-user type exchanges, margin trading exchanges and peer-to-peer platforms.

Admin User. Transactions are carried out directly between the client and the owner of the site. Courses are fixed and set by the administration. In fact, it is a cryptocurrency analogue of ordinary currency exchangers.

Peer-2-peer. Here deals are made between users. Such platforms are most often used for trading, as earnings on cryptocurrencies.

Margin Trading Exchanges. A variation of the previous version. The difference is that there are no direct deals on the number of coins. In this case, users trade in futures, contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives.

Ways to create

The first option that comes to mind is the development of a platform from scratch. This is a great way to bring more benefits. You can get your own reliable stock exchange, the profits from which you will manage on your own. At the same time, it takes much more time, money and effort.

The second way is to buy ready-made scripts, better known as White Label Solution. It is cheaper than the previous version. At the same time, the main modules will be ready, it remains only to customize the site. However, you will have less control over it, you will need to contact the supplier to make changes, and you will have to pay interest on the profit.

The last option - the use of open source (Open Source Solution). This is a free way. Again, the foundation is ready: you only need to make edits to unique the system. But in this case, the security of the service suffers a lot, and you can’t wait for support.

Site Architecture

When building a web platform, its structure plays a very important role. The speed of information processing, page load and the maximum possible number of applications depends on this. Also, architecture has an impact on site safety and sustainability.

Monolithic platforms are usually built on a single server. Thus, their functionality is limited, and throughput and query processing speed is low. Such exchanges are fairly cheap in creation, but their profit is insignificant.

Modular systems are characterized by the location of each component on separate servers. Thanks to this, higher throughput and system efficiency can be achieved.

In distributed systems, each module has a so-called submodule. In other words, several servers can be allocated to one element. Such a system is not cheap to maintain, but can significantly enhance the capabilities of the platform.

Script for platform creating

The exchange script is software in which codes are written for all key functions of a cryptocurrency exchange. It can be developed on the basis of PHP, MEAN, Javascript or any other framework. The key task is to support and ensure the Bitcoin and Altcoin trade within a specific exchange.

Writing a script is like a full-fledged development of the exchange platform. This can be done independently or ordered from specialized companies. The advantages and disadvantages are also similar.

The main elements of the script

If you take ready security, you only need to check the quality of each module. It will take a few days. But when creating a stock exchange from scratch, it is necessary to devote a lot of time to each element so that the platform is stable and highly efficient.

Trading engine. This should be a separate point of the entire development, on which the whole team should work. The trading engine gives access to the book of orders, connects buy and sell orders, executes transactions and calculates the balance after each operation. The slightest mistake can lead to significant losses for both the user and the owner of the exchange.



User interface. Programmers used to call this element "front-end." From this module depends on how the client will see your platform. Create an environment for users to enjoy the trade. In other words, you need to develop a clear and practical interface.

Provide quick and easy access to features like:

• registration and authorization;


• replenishment of purses and withdrawals;


• management of funds;


• view the book of orders and transaction history;


• creating orders;


• communication with technical support.

Wallets. This module provides the ability to add new coins to the listing of the exchange. Due to this, it is possible to increase the number of shopping pairs, which means to attract more users and increase sales. Consider that different modules are created for cryptocurrency and real money.

Administration. This module is very important for developers and the owner of the exchange. It depends on the management of all processes on the site.

Required availability of such functions:

• spread correction;


• setting commissions;


• checking user accounts for the KYC procedure;


• adding new cryptocurrencies (connecting the exchange to their blockchain);


• execution of withdrawal requests;


• redirect requests to technical support.

System of purchase / sale. The trading engine is mainly responsible for the connection of orders. But besides it, a separate module is needed that optimizes the trading process. Structured script code allows for the immediate implementation of the purchase / sale.

Trade traffic generation. Creating order history is a separate task of the script. Based on it, charts are formed on the stock exchange. Of course, this process can be entrusted to the trading engine. But then the speed will be slightly lower. To provide instant information about quotes, you can select generation into a separate component.

Providing liquidity

Users rarely come to services with low trading volume and an empty book of orders. Because many exchanges are faced with the problem of liquidity. You can fix it in the following ways:

• personally simulate trading activity on the exchange, creating orders through artificial accounts;


• join the network of exchanges, within which a constant unhindered exchange is ensured;


• implement an API interface that connects your exchange with another similar.

Many people have questions about how the latter method works and what needs to be done to use it.

1. Choose a stock exchange as a liquidity provider.


2. Integrate its API into your Bitcoin exchange software between two sites.


3. Change the script code by adding the Exchange Remarketer module.

Exchange Remarketer duplicates the orders and transactions of the second exchange, displaying them in your book of orders. That is, when a user buys Bitcoin on your site, this module performs the same operation on another exchange. Similarly, if a user sells a cryptocurrency, the Remarketer can buy it to sell to another user on a second platform.

Thus, this module plays the role of all artificially created account and missing traders. However, it is important to correctly write the code so that Remarketer performs operations only when necessary. Otherwise, ordinary users will not exchange with each other, which will lead to quotations failures.

Safety

A cryptocurrency exchange is a resource that works with finances, as well as personal data of users. Therefore, protection against hacking attempts and theft of funds or information must be top notch.

First of all, you need to buy your own servers, and not to rent on the hosting. Even in your team’s environment, only those closest to them should have access to them. Trust is good, but in this case we can talk about large sums, and therefore huge losses in case of theft of funds or the disclosure of someone's data.

The script also contains a security module. Thanks to him, most of the protective processes will be provided. In addition, the ability of account protection by the client depends on the structure of the script. Since they work with money, it is advisable to provide maximum two-factor authentication (2FA) methods.

Effective protection is provided only by testing. Therefore, create a list of various ways of attack on the system and check the protection for each one.

Paperwork and implementation procedures