ccxt-php

# CCXT for PHP

A comprehensive guide to using CCXT in PHP projects for cryptocurrency exchange integration.

## Installation

### Via Composer (REST and WebSocket)
```bash
composer require ccxt/ccxt
```

### Required PHP Extensions
- cURL
- mbstring (UTF-8)
- PCRE
- iconv
- gmp (for some exchanges)

### Optional for Async/WebSocket
- ReactPHP (installed automatically with ccxt)

## Quick Start

### REST API - Synchronous
```php
<?php
date_default_timezone_set('UTC');  // Required!
require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

$exchange = new \ccxt\binance();
$exchange->load_markets();
$ticker = $exchange->fetch_ticker('BTC/USDT');
print_r($ticker);
```

### REST API - Asynchronous (ReactPHP)
```php
<?php
use function React\Async\await;

date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

$exchange = new \ccxt\async\binance();
$ticker = await($exchange->fetch_ticker('BTC/USDT'));
print_r($ticker);
```

### WebSocket API - Real-time Updates
```php
<?php
use function React\Async\await;
use function React\Async\async;

date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

$exchange = new \ccxt\pro\binance();

while (true) {
    $ticker = await($exchange->watch_ticker('BTC/USDT'));
    print_r($ticker);  // Live updates!
}

await($exchange->close());
```

## REST vs WebSocket

| Mode | REST | WebSocket |
|------|------|-----------|
| **Sync** | `\ccxt\binance()` | (WebSocket requires async) |
| **Async** | `\ccxt\async\binance()` | `\ccxt\pro\binance()` |

| Feature | REST API | WebSocket API |
|---------|----------|---------------|
| **Use for** | One-time queries, placing orders | Real-time monitoring, live price feeds |
| **Method prefix** | `fetch_*` (fetch_ticker, fetch_order_book) | `watch_*` (watch_ticker, watch_order_book) |
| **Speed** | Slower (HTTP request/response) | Faster (persistent connection) |
| **Rate limits** | Strict (1-2 req/sec) | More lenient (continuous stream) |
| **Best for** | Trading, account management | Price mon