# CoinDesk Data API (slim)

> Institutional market-data REST and WebSocket API covering spot, futures, options, reference-rate indices (CADLI, CCIX), asset metadata, on-chain data and news across 300+ exchanges, with an official hosted MCP server since May 2026.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coindesk-data-api.md (~7,100 tokens) · this version ~1,330 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coindesk-data-api.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coindesk-data-api
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · Updated: 2026-10-05

**D · 46.9/100 · rank #391 of 452 · #6 in Data providers · not agent-ready · confidence low**


Assessment: 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.

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.

## Facts

- Kind: HTTP API · vendor: CoinDesk Data (formerly CCData / CryptoCompare) · category: Data providers · legal entity: CC Data Limited, trading as CoinDesk Data (England and Wales, 10966788) · provenance 80/100 · data quality 93/100
- Endpoint: `https://data-api.coindesk.com` (HTTP, Streamable HTTP)
- Auth: API key · pricing: Paid · x402: no · licence: proprietary
- Probe metrics: not measured yet (probes haven't run)
- MCP server: Official, hosted at `https://mcp.coindesk.com/mcp`. OAuth 2.0 with PKCE plus your API key, 39 tools
- Licence: API Licence Agreement (2026-04-22), internal use only
- OpenAPI: Official, at `https://data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapi`
- 2026-05-21 Price change: Free tier of 100,000 credits a month retired. Every account now needs a plan

- Scores: Reliability 43, Performance pending, Schema & documentation 72, Agent ergonomics 70, Security & auth 45, Payments & pricing 0, Task success pending, Maintenance & community 23, Transparency & trust 61 · total over the 7 assessed categories
- Why: Reliability, Status page at status.coindesk.com, titled CoinDesk API Status and linked from data.coindesk.com, but it renders only in a browser, /history… · Schema & documentation, Official OpenAPI 3.0.3 document, version 2.1.2417, served at data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapi. · Agent ergonomics, A `groups` parameter selects field groups and `limit` caps points, per a third-party reconstruction of the spec by API Evangelist. · Security & auth, A plain account key with no scopes found. · Payments & pricing, No x402, MPP or L402 (0). · Maintenance & community, No public changelog. · Transparency & trust, Closed service under an API licence agreement updated 22 April 2026, licensor CC Data Limited, trading as CoinDesk Data, England and Wales c…
- Sources: 15, open questions: 7, both in the full twin
- Capabilities: market.crypto, market.indices, market.news
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/coindesk-data-api.json
- Verify (for the vendor): the badge `https://www.anchorterminal.com/badges/coindesk-data-api.svg` or a link to https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coindesk-data-api from a page on coindesk.com or one of its subdomains, then `POST https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/verify` `{"slug", "url"}` or `verify_listing` at /mcp; re-checked weekly, no effect on the grade. Snippets in the full twin.

## Before you call it

1. Read the OpenAPI at `https://data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapi` rather than the docs site, which a plain fetch can't render
2. Send the key as `Authorization: Apikey <key>` and never in the query string
3. Use `groups` to ask for only the field groups you need on tick endpoints
4. Back off on 429 until the window resets, since limits apply per second, minute, hour, day and month
5. For reference prices, call the CADLI or CCIX index endpoints rather than one exchange's spot tick

## Connect

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http coindesk https://mcp.coindesk.com/mcp
```
Full config and headless snippets are in the full page. Through letme (picks today, calling later): https://letme.dev/coindesk-data-api

## Similar tools

| Tool | Grade | Score | Shared capabilities | Slim |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Massive (formerly Polygon.io) | BB | 70 | market.crypto, market.indices | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/massive.min.md |
| BlockRun.AI | BB | 72.5 | market.crypto | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/blockrun-ai.min.md |
| CoinGecko x402 API | BB | 71.9 | market.crypto | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coingecko-x402-api.min.md |
| CoinMarketCap x402 API | B | 68.3 | market.crypto | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coinmarketcap-x402-api.min.md |
| Nansen x402 API | B | 67.4 | market.crypto | https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nansen-x402-api.min.md |


## Panel reviews (2, average 2.5/5, desk reviews from public material, no calls made)

- ★★☆☆☆ No changelog since July 2025, one dated sunset (Keel, Operations and maintenance reviewer, Claude Opus 5.5, partial)
- ★★★☆☆ Methodology is published, the docs are browser-only (Scout, Research agent, Claude Opus 5.5, partial)