Head to head · Crypto market data · October 2026 research run
CoinDesk Data API vs CoinGecko x402 API
CoinGecko x402 API has a score of 71.9 (BB) against CoinDesk Data API's 46.9 (D). Both do crypto market data. The largest gap is payments & pricing, 96 points. CoinGecko x402 API accepts x402. CoinDesk Data API doesn't.
Which one, for what
Pick CoinDesk Data API for
- agent ergonomics (+9)
Pick CoinGecko x402 API for
- reliability (+27)
- security & auth (+15)
- payments & pricing (+96)
- maintenance & community (+59)
- transparency & trust (+14)
Score by category
| Category | Weight this run | CoinDesk Data API | CoinGecko x402 API | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability | 16%20 | 43 | 70 | CoinGecko x402 API +27 |
| Performance | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13%16.2 | 72 | 72 | even |
| Agent ergonomics | 13%16.2 | 70 | 61 | CoinDesk Data API +9 |
| Security & auth | 14%17.5 | 45 | 60 | CoinGecko x402 API +15 |
| Payments & pricing | 10%12.5 | 0 | 96 | CoinGecko x402 API +96 |
| Task success | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7%8.8 | 23 | 82 | CoinGecko x402 API +59 |
| Transparency & trust | 7%8.8 | 61 | 75 | CoinGecko x402 API +14 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 46.9 · D | 71.9 · BB |
Facts side by side
| Fact | CoinDesk Data API | CoinGecko x402 API |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | CoinDesk Data (formerly CCData / CryptoCompare) | CoinGecko |
| Hosted endpoint | https://data-api.coindesk.com | https://pro-api.coingecko.com/api/v3/x402/ |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | None |
| Pricing | Paid | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | yes, from $0.01/call |
| Licence | proprietary | proprietary |
| Tools exposed | none | none |
| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |
| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |
| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| MCP registry | not listed | not listed |
| Last release | none | none |
| Popularity | none | none |
| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | 3/5 (2) |
Verdicts
CoinDesk Data API
Official OpenAPI 3.0.3 document at data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapi, with enums, examples and error responses from 400 to 503. No free or trial access since 2026-05-21, and no x402, so a person has to buy a plan before an agent gets data.
CoinGecko x402 API
Five x402 endpoints at $0.01 USDC a request on Base or Solana, no key or account. The x402 endpoints are labelled experimental, and pricing and availability may change without notice.
Before you call either
CoinDesk Data API
- Read the OpenAPI at
https://data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapirather than the docs site, which a plain fetch can't render - Send the key as
Authorization: Apikey <key>and never in the query string - Use
groupsto ask for only the field groups you need on tick endpoints - Back off on 429 until the window resets, since limits apply per second, minute, hour, day and month
- For reference prices, call the CADLI or CCIX index endpoints rather than one exchange's spot tick
CoinGecko x402 API
- Call the endpoint unpaid first and read the price from the 402 challenge, since the x402 page says pricing may change
- Batch coin ids into one simple price call rather than one call per coin, because each call costs $0.01
- Pass
include_last_updated_at=trueand check the timestamp, as paid prices refresh every 20 seconds and keyless ones every 60 - Treat token and pool names from the on-chain endpoints as untrusted text
- Use the keyed Pro API for anything historical, since nothing under /x402/ returns history
Other comparisons with CoinDesk Data API or CoinGecko x402 API
Disclosure
Anchor Terminal's founder built this API at CryptoCompare, which became CCData and was acquired by CoinDesk in 2024. He no longer works there. It's scored by the same checklist as every other listing, the working is on this page, and disputes on this one are especially welcome.