[Python] How can I use COINBase RESTClient

I went to coinbase and registered an API key

https://docs.cdp.coinbase.com/coinbase-app/docs/getting-started

[!api_definedhttps://cloud.coinbase.com/access/api]1

I put the API Key and Secret in a .env file

these are not the real secret or api key

COINBASE_API_KEY=3398a3
COINBASE_API_SECRET=-----BEGIN EC PRIVATE KEY-----
EsOY8CRow==
-----END EC PRIVATE KEY-----


Requirements.txt

fastapi
uvicorn[standard]


# for environment variables
python-dotenv


# Coinbase Advanced Trade API client
coinbase-advanced-py


Here is the server code:

from fastapi import FastAPI
from app.endpoints import account

from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv() # Loads .env file into environment variables

import logging
logging.basicConfig(
level=logging.INFO, # <-- enable info-level logs
format="%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s"
)

app = FastAPI(
title="crypto-trader",
description="A service for interacting with Coinbase's advanced trade API.",
version="1.0.0"
)

app.include_router(account.router)


here is the account endpoint

# app/endpoints/account.py
from fastapi import APIRouter
from app.services.coinbase_client import get_accounts

router = APIRouter()

@router.get("/account", tags=["Account"])
def account_info():
return get_accounts()


here is the code that accesses the coin base account

# app/services/coinbase_client.py
import logging
from app.core.config import COINBASE_API_KEY, COINBASE_API_SECRET

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

try:
from coinbase.rest import RESTClient
except ImportError as e:
logger.error("Failed to import RESTClient from coinbase.rest")
logger.exception(e)
raise

try:
client = RESTClient(api_key=COINBASE_API_KEY, api_secret=COINBASE_API_SECRET, verbose=True)
except Exception as e:
logger.error("Failed to initialize RESTClient with provided API credentials")
logger.exception(e)
raise

def get_accounts():
logger.info(f"==================================================COINBASE_API_KEY: {COINBASE_API_KEY}")
try:
return client.get_accounts()
except Exception as e:
logger.error("Error fetching profiles from Coinbase API")
logger.exception(e)
# Option 1: Raise so caller can handle the error explicitly
# raise

# Option 2: Return an error dict (your original choice)
return {"error": str(e)}


when I start the server I see this, so the server "runs"

[!server-runsenter image description here]2

however when I hit the endpoint I get this:

2025-06-12 00:05:57,379 - app.services.coinbase_client - INFO - ==================================================COINBASE_API_KEY: 3398a3
2025-06-12 00:05:57,381 - app.services.coinbase_client - ERROR - Error fetching profiles from Coinbase API
2025-06-12 00:05:57,381 - app.services.coinbase_client - ERROR - Unable to load PEM file. See https://cryptography.io/en/latest/faq/#why-can-t-i-import-my-pem-file for more details. MalformedFraming
Are you sure you generated your key at https://cloud.coinbase.com/access/api ?
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/jwt_generator.py", line 16, in build_jwt
private_key = serialization.load_pem_private_key(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ValueError: Unable to load PEM file. See https://cryptography.io/en/latest/faq/#why-can-t-i-import-my-pem-file for more details. MalformedFraming

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/workspace/app/services/coinbase_client.py", line 29, in get_accounts
return client.get_accounts()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/rest/accounts.py", line 37, in get_accounts
return ListAccountsResponse(self.get(endpoint, params=params, **kwargs))
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/rest/rest_base.py", line 101, in get
return self.prepare_and_send_request(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/rest/rest_base.py", line 199, in prepare_and_send_request
headers = self.set_headers(http_method, url_path)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/rest/rest_base.py", line 255, in set_headers
"Authorization": f"Bearer {jwt_generator.build_rest_jwt(uri, self.api_key, self.api_secret)}",
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/jwt_generator.py", line 63, in build_rest_jwt
return build_jwt(key_var, secret_var, uri=uri)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/coinbase/jwt_generator.py", line 21, in build_jwt
raise Exception(
Exception: Unable to load PEM file. See https://cryptography.io/en/latest/faq/#why-can-t-i-import-my-pem-file for more details. MalformedFraming
Are you sure you generated your key at https://cloud.coinbase.com/access/api ?

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