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The Coinbase integration allows you to connect to the Coinbase Exchange API to display real-time cryptocurrency prices, historical charts, and market data directly in your Forge dashboard.

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What it enables

Connecting Coinbase enables crypto-related widgets:
  • Crypto Price Widgets: Display real-time prices for BTC, ETH, SOL, and other cryptocurrencies
  • Price Charts: View historical price data with multiple timeframes (1h, 24h, 1w, 1m, 3m, 6m, 1y)
  • Currency Lists: Browse all available cryptocurrencies on Coinbase Exchange
  • Custom Watchlists: Track your favorite crypto assets
This integration uses the Coinbase Exchange API (also known as Coinbase Pro API), which is different from the retail Coinbase API.

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Setup Instructions

1

Create a Coinbase Account

  1. Sign up for a Coinbase account if you don’t have one
  2. Complete identity verification if required
  3. Navigate to Coinbase Exchange (Coinbase Pro)
2

Generate API Keys

  1. Log into Coinbase Exchange
  2. Navigate to API settings
  3. Click New API Key
  4. Configure the API key:
    • Nickname: Forge Dashboard (or your preferred name)
    • Passphrase: Create a secure passphrase (you’ll need this)
    • Permissions: Select View (read-only access is sufficient)
  5. Click Create API Key
  6. Save your API Key, API Secret, and Passphrase
The API Secret is only shown once. Store it securely immediately. You’ll need all three values: Key, Secret, and Passphrase.
3

Add Environment Variables

Add the following variables to your .env file:
COINBASE_CLIENT_ID=your_api_key_here
COINBASE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_api_secret_here
Despite the variable names using “CLIENT_ID” and “CLIENT_SECRET”, these correspond to your Coinbase API Key and API Secret respectively. The passphrase is included in the secret for Forge’s implementation.
Keep your API credentials secure. Never commit them to version control. Ensure .env is in your .gitignore file.
4

Restart Your Application

Restart your Forge application to load the new environment variables:
npm run dev

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Authentication Method

Coinbase Exchange uses HMAC-SHA256 authentication rather than traditional OAuth. Forge handles this automatically:
  1. For each API request, Forge generates a timestamp
  2. Creates a signature using your API Secret (base64-decoded)
  3. Includes the signature in request headers:
    • CB-ACCESS-KEY: Your API Key
    • CB-ACCESS-SIGN: HMAC signature
    • CB-ACCESS-TIMESTAMP: Request timestamp
    • CB-ACCESS-PASSPHRASE: Your API passphrase
All authentication is handled server-side. Your API credentials never leave your Forge instance.

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Available Features

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Fetch Crypto Prices

Forge can fetch real-time and historical price data for any trading pair on Coinbase Exchange:
  • Default pairs: BTC-USD, ETH-USD, SOL-USD
  • Custom pairs: Any valid Coinbase trading pair (e.g., DOGE-USD, MATIC-USD)
  • Timeframes: 1h, 24h, 1w, 1m, 3m, 6m, 1y
Price data includes:
  • Current price (latest close)
  • Percent change over the timeframe
  • OHLC (Open, High, Low, Close) candlestick data

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Browse Currencies

Fetch a list of all available cryptocurrencies:
  • Filters to show only “online” cryptocurrencies
  • Sorted alphabetically by currency ID
  • Includes currency name and ID

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API Endpoints Used

Forge makes requests to these Coinbase Exchange API endpoints:
  • GET /products/{product-id}/candles - Fetch historical price candles
  • GET /currencies - List all available currencies
Base URL: https://api.exchange.coinbase.com

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Rate Limits

Coinbase Exchange API has rate limits:
  • Public endpoints: 3 requests per second
  • Private endpoints: 5 requests per second
Forge implements appropriate caching (cache: "no-store") to ensure fresh data while respecting rate limits.

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Troubleshooting

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Invalid Signature Error

If you see “Invalid signature” errors:
  • Verify your COINBASE_CLIENT_SECRET is the base64-encoded API Secret from Coinbase
  • Ensure your API Key (COINBASE_CLIENT_ID) is correct
  • Check that your system clock is synchronized (signatures are time-sensitive)

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Unauthorized / 401 Errors

If requests fail with 401 Unauthorized:
  • Confirm your API Key has View permissions enabled
  • Verify the API Key is still active in Coinbase Exchange settings
  • Check that you’re using the Exchange API credentials, not regular Coinbase API credentials

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Unable to Load Price Data

If price data fails to load:
  • Verify the trading pair exists on Coinbase Exchange (e.g., “BTC-USD”)
  • Check that the API endpoints are accessible from your server
  • Review your application logs for specific error messages

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Missing Currencies

If certain currencies don’t appear:
  • Only “online” crypto currencies are shown
  • The currency must be available on Coinbase Exchange
  • Some currencies may be delisted or temporarily offline

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Security Best Practices

  • Use View-only API keys (no trading permissions needed)
  • Rotate API keys periodically
  • Never share your API Secret or Passphrase
  • Use IP whitelisting in Coinbase if available
  • Monitor API key usage in Coinbase Exchange settings

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Data Privacy

The Coinbase integration:
  • Does not require personal trading data access
  • Only fetches public market data
  • Operates entirely server-side within your Forge instance
  • Does not share data with third parties
Since this integration uses view-only access to public market data, no sensitive financial information is accessed or stored.

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