This guide walks you through integrating with the Paxos Order Routing WebSocket API to receive real-time market data and execution updates. The Order Routing WebSocket API requires authentication and is available only to authorized Order Routing platform customers.
Before starting, ensure you have Order Routing platform access and valid OAuth2 credentials with the exchange:read_aggregated_marketdata_stream scope.

​
➊ Authenticate and Get Access Token

First, obtain an OAuth2 access token using your client credentials.

​
Sandbox Environment

curl -X POST https://oauth.sandbox.paxos.com/oauth2/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "grant_type=client_credentials" \
  -d "client_id={your_client_id}" \
  -d "client_secret={your_client_secret}" \
  -d "scope=exchange:read_aggregated_marketdata_stream"
Save the access_token from the response. You’ll use this as the Bearer token for the WebSocket connection.

​
➋ Establish WebSocket Connection

Connect to the WebSocket server using your preferred WebSocket client library.

​
JavaScript/Node.js Example

const WebSocket = require('ws');

const token = '{your_access_token}';
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://ws.sandbox.paxos.com/', {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`
  }
});

ws.on('open', () => {
  console.log('Connected to Order Routing WebSocket');
});

ws.on('message', (data) => {
  const message = JSON.parse(data);
  console.log('Received:', message);
});

ws.on('error', (error) => {
  console.error('WebSocket error:', error);
});

ws.on('close', () => {
  console.log('WebSocket connection closed');
});

​
Python Example

import asyncio
import websockets
import json

async def connect_websocket():
    token = '{your_access_token}'
    uri = 'wss://ws.sandbox.paxos.com/'
    headers = {
        'Authorization': f'Bearer {token}'
    }
    
    async with websockets.connect(uri, extra_headers=headers) as websocket:
        print('Connected to Order Routing WebSocket')
        
        # Handle incoming messages
        async for message in websocket:
            data = json.loads(message)
            print('Received:', data)

asyncio.run(connect_websocket())

​
➌ Subscribe to Market Data

Once connected, subscribe to market data channels to receive order book updates. 
// Subscribe to BTCUSD market data
const subscribeMessage = {
  type: 'subscribe',
  channels: [
    {
      type: 'market_data',
      params: {
        market: 'BTCUSD'
      }
    }
  ]
};

ws.send(JSON.stringify(subscribeMessage));

​
Handle Market Data Messages

class OrderBookManager {
  constructor() {
    this.orderBooks = new Map();
    this.updateBuffers = new Map(); // Buffer updates per market
  }

  handleMessage(message) {
    if (message.channel === 'market_data') {
      const payload = message.payload;
      const market = payload.market;
      
      if (payload.type === 'SNAPSHOT') {
        // Initialize order book with snapshot
        this.initializeOrderBook(market, payload);
      } else if (payload.type === 'UPDATE') {
        // Check if we have received snapshot for this market
        const orderBook = this.orderBooks.get(market);
        
        if (!orderBook || !orderBook.snapshotTime) {
          // Buffer updates until snapshot arrives
          if (!this.updateBuffers.has(market)) {
            this.updateBuffers.set(market, []);
          }
          this.updateBuffers.get(market).push(payload);
        } else {
          // Apply incremental update
          this.updateOrderBook(market, payload);
        }
      }
    }
  }

  initializeOrderBook(market, snapshot) {
    const orderBook = {
      bids: new Map(),
      asks: new Map(),
      snapshotTime: snapshot.time
    };

    // Load bids and asks from snapshot
    snapshot.bids.forEach(level => {
      orderBook.bids.set(level.price, level.amount);
    });
    
    snapshot.asks.forEach(level => {
      orderBook.asks.set(level.price, level.amount);
    });

    this.orderBooks.set(market, orderBook);
    console.log(`Order book initialized for ${market} at ${snapshot.time}`);
    
    // Apply buffered updates that occurred after snapshot time
    const bufferedUpdates = this.updateBuffers.get(market) || [];
    const validUpdates = bufferedUpdates.filter(update => 
      update.time > snapshot.time
    );
    
    console.log(`Applying ${validUpdates.length} buffered updates for ${market}`);
    validUpdates.forEach(update => {
      this.updateOrderBook(market, update);
    });
    
    // Clear the buffer for this market
    this.updateBuffers.delete(market);
  }

  updateOrderBook(market, update) {
    const orderBook = this.orderBooks.get(market);
    if (!orderBook) return;

    // Apply bid updates
    if (update.bids) {
      update.bids.forEach(level => {
        if (level.amount === '0') {
          orderBook.bids.delete(level.price);
        } else {
          orderBook.bids.set(level.price, level.amount);
        }
      });
    }

    // Apply ask updates
    if (update.asks) {
      update.asks.forEach(level => {
        if (level.amount === '0') {
          orderBook.asks.delete(level.price);
        } else {
          orderBook.asks.set(level.price, level.amount);
        }
      });
    }
  }
}

​
➍ Subscribe to Execution Data

Subscribe to execution data to receive real-time trade notifications. 
// Subscribe to execution data
const subscribeExecution = {
  type: 'subscribe',
  channels: [
    {
      type: 'execution_data',
      params: {
        market: 'BTCUSD'
      }
    }
  ]
};

ws.send(JSON.stringify(subscribeExecution));

// Handle execution messages
ws.on('message', (data) => {
  const message = JSON.parse(data);
  
  if (message.channel === 'execution_data') {
    const execution = message.payload;
    console.log(`Trade executed: ${execution.amount} ${execution.market} @ ${execution.price}`);
    
    // Process execution data
    processExecution(execution);
  }
});

function processExecution(execution) {
  // Your custom logic
  // - Update volume metrics
  // - Trigger trading signals
  // - Log to database
}

​
➎ Manage Subscriptions

​
List Active Subscriptions

const listSubscriptions = {
  type: 'subscription_list'
};

ws.send(JSON.stringify(listSubscriptions));

​
Unsubscribe from Channels

const unsubscribe = {
  type: 'unsubscribe',
  channels: [
    {
      type: 'market_data',
      params: {
        market: 'BTCUSD'
      }
    }
  ]
};

ws.send(JSON.stringify(unsubscribe));

​
Complete Integration Example

const WebSocket = require('ws');

class OrderRoutingWebSocket {
  constructor(token, sandbox = true) {
    this.token = token;
    this.uri = sandbox 
      ? 'wss://ws.sandbox.paxos.com/' 
      : 'wss://ws.paxos.com/';
    this.ws = null;
    this.orderBooks = new Map();
    this.updateBuffers = new Map(); // Buffer updates per market
    this.reconnectDelay = 5000;
  }

  connect() {
    this.ws = new WebSocket(this.uri, {
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.token}`
      }
    });

    this.ws.on('open', () => {
      console.log('Connected to Order Routing WebSocket');
      this.subscribeToMarkets(['BTCUSD', 'ETHUSD']);
    });

    this.ws.on('message', (data) => {
      this.handleMessage(JSON.parse(data));
    });

    this.ws.on('error', (error) => {
      console.error('WebSocket error:', error);
    });

    this.ws.on('close', () => {
      console.log('Connection closed, reconnecting...');
      setTimeout(() => this.connect(), this.reconnectDelay);
    });
  }

  subscribeToMarkets(markets) {
    const channels = [];
    
    markets.forEach(market => {
      channels.push({
        type: 'market_data',
        params: { market }
      });
      channels.push({
        type: 'execution_data',
        params: { market }
      });
    });

    const subscribeMessage = {
      type: 'subscribe',
      channels
    };

    this.ws.send(JSON.stringify(subscribeMessage));
  }

  handleMessage(message) {
    // Handle subscription responses
    if (message.type === 'subscribe') {
      message.channels.forEach(channel => {
        if (channel.success) {
          console.log(`Subscribed to ${channel.type}`);
        } else {
          console.error(`Failed to subscribe: ${channel.error}`);
        }
      });
      return;
    }

    // Handle market data
    if (message.channel === 'market_data') {
      this.processMarketData(message.payload);
    }

    // Handle execution data
    if (message.channel === 'execution_data') {
      this.processExecution(message.payload);
    }
  }

  processMarketData(data) {
    const market = data.market;
    
    if (data.type === 'SNAPSHOT') {
      // Initialize order book from snapshot
      const orderBook = {
        bids: new Map(),
        asks: new Map(),
        snapshotTime: data.time
      };
      
      data.bids.forEach(level => {
        orderBook.bids.set(level.price, level.amount);
      });
      
      data.asks.forEach(level => {
        orderBook.asks.set(level.price, level.amount);
      });
      
      this.orderBooks.set(market, orderBook);
      console.log(`Order book initialized for ${market} at ${data.time}`);
      
      // Apply any buffered updates after snapshot time
      const bufferedUpdates = this.updateBuffers.get(market) || [];
      const validUpdates = bufferedUpdates.filter(update => 
        update.time > data.time
      );
      
      validUpdates.forEach(update => this.applyUpdate(market, update));
      this.updateBuffers.delete(market);
      
    } else if (data.type === 'UPDATE') {
      const orderBook = this.orderBooks.get(market);
      
      if (!orderBook || !orderBook.snapshotTime) {
        // Buffer updates until snapshot arrives
        if (!this.updateBuffers.has(market)) {
          this.updateBuffers.set(market, []);
        }
        this.updateBuffers.get(market).push(data);
      } else {
        // Apply update to existing order book
        this.applyUpdate(market, data);
      }
    }
  }
  
  applyUpdate(market, update) {
    const orderBook = this.orderBooks.get(market);
    if (!orderBook) return;
    
    // Apply bid updates
    if (update.bids) {
      update.bids.forEach(level => {
        if (level.amount === '0') {
          orderBook.bids.delete(level.price);
        } else {
          orderBook.bids.set(level.price, level.amount);
        }
      });
    }
    
    // Apply ask updates
    if (update.asks) {
      update.asks.forEach(level => {
        if (level.amount === '0') {
          orderBook.asks.delete(level.price);
        } else {
          orderBook.asks.set(level.price, level.amount);
        }
      });
    }
  }

  processExecution(execution) {
    // Process trade executions
    console.log(`Execution: ${execution.amount} ${execution.market} @ ${execution.price}`);
  }

  disconnect() {
    if (this.ws) {
      this.ws.close();
    }
  }
}

// Usage
const client = new OrderRoutingWebSocket('{your_access_token}', true);
client.connect();

​
Error Handling

Handle errors gracefully and implement appropriate retry logic: 
ws.on('message', (data) => {
  const message = JSON.parse(data);
  
  if (message.type === 'error') {
    switch (message.error) {
      case 'UNKNOWN_CHANNEL':
        console.error('Invalid channel type requested');
        break;
      case 'MALFORMED_REQUEST':
        console.error('Invalid JSON in request');
        break;
      case 'INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR':
        console.error('Server error, reconnecting...');
        reconnect();
        break;
      default:
        console.error('Unknown error:', message.error);
    }
  }
});

​
Next Steps