Connecting Binance and Bybit to a single dashboard should never require trading permissions. This guide shows you how to use read-only API keys, filter out worthless dust, exclude stablecoins from your allocation view, and merge your crypto holdings with stocks in one unified portfolio.
What is a read-only API key and why does it matter?
A read-only API key is a set of credentials that lets an external app view your exchange balances and transaction history without any ability to place trades, transfer funds, or withdraw assets. It is the safest way to connect Binance or Bybit to a portfolio tracker.
When you generate an API key on an exchange, you choose which permissions to grant. For portfolio tracking you only need the read or account information scope. You should never enable Enable Spot Trading, Enable Futures, or Enable Withdrawals.
The distinction is critical because a leaked read-only key exposes your balances but cannot move a single satoshi. A leaked trading key with withdrawal rights can drain your account. PortfolioTrackr only ever requests read-only access, so even in a worst-case data breach, your funds stay locked on the exchange.
Permissions you should and should not grant
- Read / Account Info: required. This is how the tracker sees your holdings.
- Spot & Margin Trading: leave OFF. Trackers never need it.
- Futures / Derivatives: leave OFF unless you specifically track perpetuals.
- Withdrawals: leave OFF, always, no exceptions.
- IP whitelist: enable it and add the tracker's published IP for an extra layer.
How to create a read-only API key on Binance and Bybit
You create a read-only key inside each exchange's API management page in under three minutes, and the steps are nearly identical on both platforms. Log in, open API management, name the key, and uncheck every permission except read access.
Binance steps
- Go to Account, then API Management.
- Select Create API and choose System generated.
- Label it something clear like PortfolioTrackr-ReadOnly.
- Confirm that only Enable Reading is checked. Uncheck spot, margin, and futures.
- Copy the API Key and Secret Key. The secret is shown once.
Bybit steps
- Open API under your account menu.
- Select Create New Key and pick System-generated API Keys.
- Set permission to Read-Only across Unified Trading and Wallet.
- Optionally restrict by IP address for tighter security.
- Copy both keys and paste them into your tracker immediately.
Once pasted, the connection is one-directional. The tracker pulls balances on a schedule but has no path back to execute anything. If you are new to linking financial accounts, our guide on how to connect your brokerage account to a portfolio tracker walks through the same trust model for stocks.
Why does crypto dust clutter your portfolio and how do you filter it?
Crypto dust is a tiny leftover balance of a coin, usually worth less than a dollar, that accumulates from trades, airdrops, and rounding. Filtering it removes visual noise so your dashboard shows only positions that actually affect your net worth.
A typical Binance account that has been active for a year can hold 15 to 40 dust balances from partial fills and promotional drops. Left unfiltered, these clutter your holdings list and skew the count of assets you appear to own.
How dust filtering works in practice
A good tracker lets you set a minimum value threshold, commonly $1 or $5, and hides anything below it from the main view. The dust still exists on the exchange, it just stops distracting you.
- Threshold filtering: hide any position under a dollar value you choose.
- Quantity filtering: hide fractional amounts too small to ever sell profitably.
- Manual hide: flag specific tickers you never want to see.
In PortfolioTrackr you set one threshold and it applies across every connected exchange, so Binance dust and Bybit dust vanish from the same slider. This matters most during volatile periods, and our breakdown of why portfolio tracking fails during memecoin crashes explains how noise hides real risk.
Should you exclude stablecoins from your allocation view?
Yes, you should be able to exclude stablecoins from your allocation percentages, because counting USDT or USDC as an asset distorts how much real market exposure you carry. Stablecoins are effectively cash parked on an exchange, not a bet on price direction.
Imagine a $50,000 account holding $20,000 in USDT and $30,000 in BTC-USD and ETH-USD. If the tracker counts the stablecoin, your Bitcoin allocation looks like 40%. Exclude the stablecoin and your true crypto exposure jumps to the full $30,000, giving you a cleaner risk picture.
When to include versus exclude stablecoins
- Exclude when you want to see genuine market risk and asset-class weighting.
- Include when you track total net worth or dry powder waiting to deploy.
- Split view is ideal: one number for net worth, one for risk exposure.
PortfolioTrackr lets you toggle a stablecoin exclusion setting so your allocation donut reflects only volatile assets while your headline balance still includes the cash. For a deeper look at combining asset types, see our guide on how to track crypto and stocks together in one portfolio.
How do you connect Binance and Bybit into one unified dashboard?
You connect both exchanges by generating a read-only key on each, then pasting them into a single tracker that aggregates balances into one view. The result is a combined picture of every coin across both venues plus your traditional holdings.
The advantage is consolidation. Instead of logging into Binance, which lists over 350 spot pairs, and then Bybit separately, you see one net worth figure updated in near real time. A unified dashboard also removes double-counting when the same coin sits on both exchanges.
What a unified crypto-plus-stocks view unlocks
- Single net worth number across exchanges, brokers, and wallets.
- Cross-asset allocation so you see crypto weighting against equities.
- Unified performance tracking with one time-weighted return.
- One dust and stablecoin filter applied everywhere at once.
| Feature | Binance app | Bybit app | Unified tracker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-exchange total | No | No | Yes |
| Dust filtering | Manual convert | Limited | Threshold slider |
| Stablecoin exclusion | No | No | Toggle |
| Stocks + crypto together | No | No | Yes |
Combining crypto with equities in one place is exactly why many investors move beyond native apps. Our real data comparison of six portfolio trackers ranks the tools that handle both asset classes well.
How safe is exchange risk even with read-only keys?
Read-only keys protect your funds from theft through the API, but they do nothing to protect against the exchange itself failing, freezing withdrawals, or getting hacked. Custody risk stays with the platform holding your coins, not the tracker reading them.
This is the classic not your keys, not your coins problem. A read-only key gives you visibility so you can react quickly if an exchange shows warning signs, but it does not move assets to self-custody. Recent staff cuts across the industry, covered in our piece on how to check your crypto exchange risk, are a reminder to monitor platform health.
- Diversify custody across exchanges and a hardware wallet.
- Watch withdrawal delays, which often precede insolvency.
- Track your exposure per exchange so no single venue holds too much.
The bottom line
Tracking Binance and Bybit in one dashboard is safe and simple when you stick to read-only API keys, filter out dust below a $1 threshold, and exclude stablecoins from your allocation math. That combination gives you a clean, accurate view of real market exposure.
The final step is merging that crypto picture with your stocks so you see one net worth and one allocation across everything you own. PortfolioTrackr pulls both exchanges plus your brokerage into a single read-only view, and if you are still deciding on tools, the best portfolio tracker app guide for 2026 covers the shortlist.
Crypto and stocks in one portfolio
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Frequently asked questions
Can a read-only API key withdraw money from my Binance account?
No. A read-only API key can only view balances and transaction history. It cannot place trades, transfer funds, or withdraw. Even if the key leaks, your assets stay locked on the exchange. Always leave withdrawal and trading permissions disabled when creating the key.
How do I hide small crypto dust balances in my portfolio?
Set a minimum value threshold, commonly $1 or $5, in your portfolio tracker. Any balance below that amount is hidden from the main view. In PortfolioTrackr one threshold slider applies across Binance and Bybit at once, so dust disappears from every connected exchange simultaneously.
Should stablecoins count toward my crypto allocation percentage?
For a true risk view, exclude them. Stablecoins like USDT and USDC behave as cash, so counting them understates your real Bitcoin or Ethereum exposure. PortfolioTrackr offers a stablecoin exclusion toggle, letting your allocation chart show only volatile assets while your net worth still includes the cash.
Can I track Binance and Bybit together in one dashboard?
Yes. Generate a read-only API key on each exchange and paste both into a unified tracker like PortfolioTrackr. It aggregates balances into a single net worth figure, removes double-counting for coins held on both, and can combine your crypto with stocks in the same view.
Do read-only keys protect me if the exchange itself gets hacked?
No. Read-only keys only stop theft through the API. They do not protect against the exchange failing, freezing withdrawals, or being hacked, since custody stays with the platform. Diversify across exchanges and a hardware wallet, and monitor withdrawal delays as an early warning sign.