CoinGecko

Cryptocurrency Price, Market, and Developer/Social Data

CoinGecko is the most popular free cryptocurrency data API, tracking 10,000+ coins across 600+ exchanges. The API provides real-time prices, market cap, volume, historical OHLC data, trending coins, exchange data, NFT stats, and even developer/social metrics for each project. No API key is required for the free tier. For OpenClaw agents, CoinGecko is the go-to API for crypto-related skills. Your agent can check current prices, track portfolio values, alert on price movements, generate market summaries, or fetch trending coins — all without any authentication setup. The free tier is generous enough for personal automation.

Tags: crypto, finance

Category: Cryptocurrency

Use Cases

  • Build a 'crypto price' command that returns current prices on demand via chat
  • Set up cron-based price alerts for specific coins crossing thresholds
  • Generate daily or weekly crypto market summaries with top gainers and losers

Tips

  • Register for a free Demo API key to get a stable 30 calls/min rate limit
  • Use the /simple/price endpoint for fast, lightweight price checks — minimal data transfer
  • Cache responses for at least 60 seconds to stay well within free tier limits

Known Issues & Gotchas

  • Rate limits on the free tier are quite strict — cache aggressively
  • The free API sometimes has 1-2 minute delays compared to paid plans
  • Coin IDs are not always intuitive — use /search to find the correct ID first

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an API key for CoinGecko?

No, the public API works without any key. However, getting a free Demo API key from CoinGecko doubles your rate limit from ~15 to 30 calls/minute.

What's the rate limit on the free tier?

Without a key, expect 5-15 calls/minute (it varies). With the free Demo key, you get a stable 30 calls/minute. This is sufficient for personal agent use but not for high-frequency monitoring.

Can I get historical price data for free?

Yes. The /coins/{id}/market_chart endpoint provides historical price, market cap, and volume data for free. You can get up to 365 days of daily data.