<p>A limit order is an order to buy or sell at a specific price or better. As in "sell these coins if I can get at least X USD per bitcoin."</p>

<p>A market order is an order to buy or sell at the best available price. As in "sell these coins for whatever people are willing to pay right now."</p>

<p>Not 100% sure about this, but I believe mixed_currency means the buyer and seller are using different currencies. If you buy bitcoins using EUR from someone selling for USD then MtGox will do a conversion.</p>

<p>And yes, the best view of the market would be with all trades included.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-15T08:39:57.057Z
Actually, this doesn't quite answer the question in the given context. Yes, market vs limit is explained, but what does it mean in the context of a MtGox trade entry. Isn't there typically a market order and a limit order that are matched in order to create a trade?
Dustin Graham
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-19T14:52:09.053Z
@DustinGraham quite obviously it means that that trade was done with a limit order or with a market order. Limit orders stay in the order book if not cleared immediately, while market orders are always filled unless the market is empty.
o0'.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-20T17:46:25.617Z
Quite obviously. :)
Dustin Graham
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-24T08:54:42.330Z
2012-10-24T08:54:42.330Z
Dr.Haribo
<p>I'm using the MTGox API to get data about historic trades.</p>

<p>When I run <a href="https://mtgox.com/api/1/BTCGBP/public/trades?since=" rel="nofollow">https://mtgox.com/api/1/BTCGBP/public/trades?since=</a>{trade_id}, I get the latest 500 trades since that {trade_id}.</p>

<p>Now I have for example these two trades returned:</p>

<pre><code>Trade #1
{
    "date":1342135345,
    "price":"4.77728",
    "amount":"5107.98029213",
    "price_int":"477728",
    "amount_int":"510798029213",
    "tid":"1342135345801755",
    "price_currency":"GBP",
    "item":"BTC",
    "trade_type":"bid",
    "primary":"Y",
    "properties":"market,mixed_currency"
},

Trade #2
{
    "date":1342136454,
    "price":"4.78",
    "amount":"0.02000488",
    "price_int":"478000",
    "amount_int":"2000488",
    "tid":"1342136454726203",
    "price_currency":"GBP",
    "item":"BTC",
    "trade_type":"bid",
    "primary":"N",
    "properties":"limit,mixed_currency"
},
</code></pre>

<p>Note the different properties: "market,mixed_currency" &amp; "limit,mixed_currency".</p>

<ol>
<li><p>What is the difference between a market and a limit property? What do both mean? (I couldn't find it here <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/MtGox/API/HTTP/v1" rel="nofollow">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/MtGox/API/HTTP/v1</a>)</p></li>
<li><p>what does it mean for a trade to be mixed_currency?</p></li>
<li><p>Bitcoincharts does seem to include all trades regardless of the limit/market/mixed currency, is this the right approach if you want to have a honest view of all markets?</p></li>
</ol>

<mtgox><api><properties>
What is the difference between a market and limit property in the MTGox API?
BillN
# What is the difference between a market and limit property in the MTGox API?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-10-23)

I'm using the MTGox API to get data about historic trades.

When I run <https://mtgox.com/api/1/BTCGBP/public/trades?since=>{trade\_id}, I get the latest 500 trades since that {trade\_id}.

Now I have for example these two trades returned:

```
Trade #1
{
    "date":1342135345,
    "price":"4.77728",
    "amount":"5107.98029213",
    "price_int":"477728",
    "amount_int":"510798029213",
    "tid":"1342135345801755",
    "price_currency":"GBP",
    "item":"BTC",
    "trade_type":"bid",
    "primary":"Y",
    "properties":"market,mixed_currency"
},

Trade #2
{
    "date":1342136454,
    "price":"4.78",
    "amount":"0.02000488",
    "price_int":"478000",
    "amount_int":"2000488",
    "tid":"1342136454726203",
    "price_currency":"GBP",
    "item":"BTC",
    "trade_type":"bid",
    "primary":"N",
    "properties":"limit,mixed_currency"
},

```

Note the different properties: "market,mixed\_currency" & "limit,mixed\_currency".

1. What is the difference between a market and a limit property? What do both mean? (I couldn't find it here <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/MtGox/API/HTTP/v1>)
2. what does it mean for a trade to be mixed\_currency?
3. Bitcoincharts does seem to include all trades regardless of the limit/market/mixed currency, is this the right approach if you want to have a honest view of all markets?

**Tags:** mtgox, api, properties


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-10-24. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

A limit order is an order to buy or sell at a specific price or better. As in "sell these coins if I can get at least X USD per bitcoin."

A market order is an order to buy or sell at the best available price. As in "sell these coins for whatever people are willing to pay right now."

Not 100% sure about this, but I believe mixed\_currency means the buyer and seller are using different currencies. If you buy bitcoins using EUR from someone selling for USD then MtGox will do a conversion.

And yes, the best view of the market would be with all trades included.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Actually, this doesn't quite answer the question in the given context. Yes, market vs limit is explained, but what does it mean in the context of a MtGox trade entry. Isn't there typically a market order and a limit order that are matched in order to create a trade?  
> **username_3**: @username_2 quite obviously it means that that trade was done with a limit order or with a market order. Limit orders stay in the order book if not cleared immediately, while market orders are always filled unless the market is empty.  
> **username_2**: Quite obviously. :)  

---

