In this guide, we'll look at how to import cryptocurrency prices from the CoinMarketCap API to Airtable. CoinMarketCap is an online source of crypto market data, such as coin prices (current and historical), exchange information and lots more. We first need to get an API key from CoinMarketCap, then we will use the Data Fetcher extension to create a crypto tracker in Airtable.
Get CoinMarketCap API Key
Click here to get a CoinMarketCap API key. Then click 'Get Your API Key Now'.
Fill in your details and create a free CoinMarketCap account.
You'll receive an email from CoinMarketCap. Click 'Verify My Account' in the email. In your CoinMarketCap account, click 'Copy Key' and make a note of it somewhere secure.
Install Data Fetcher
Install Data Fetcher from the Airtable marketplace. After the extension launches, sign up for a free Data Fetcher account by entering a password and clicking 'Sign up for free'.
Import CoinMarketCap Data to Airtable
Requests in Data Fetcher are how you import data to or send data from your Airtable base. We will create a request to import prices from CoinMarketCap.
On the home screen of the Data Fetcher extension, click 'Create your first request'.
On the create request screen in Data Fetcher, for Application, select 'CoinMarketCap'.
Under Authorization, enter your CoinMarketCap API key from the earlier step.
Enter a Name for your request, e.g. 'Import Coin Prices'.
For Endpoint, select 'Latest market quotes for 1 or more cryptocurrencies'. This determines what data we want to import from CoinGecko to Airtable.
Click 'Save & Continue'.
Select the Coins you want to import data for, e.g. 'Bitcoin'.
Select the currency you want to Convert to, e.g. 'USD'.
Select the Output Table & View you want to import CoinMarketCap data into.
Click 'Save & Run'.
The request will run and the Response field mapping modal will open. This is where you set which fields to import from CoinMarketCap and how they should map to your output table. For each CoinMarketCap field, you can either import or filter it. For an imported field, you can set whether to map them to an existing field or create a new field.
Filter out any fields you do not want to import, e.g. all the ones that begin 'Status'.
Change the field type of 'Quote N price' (e.g. 'Quote 2782 price') field to currency using the dropdown and the new field name to 'Current price'.
Click 'Save & Run'.
Data Fetcher will create any fields that need to be created in the output table, then run the request again and import the data from CoinMarketCap to Airtable.
Build an Airtable Crypto Tracker
Now we can use our table of coin prices to build an Airtable crypto tracker. This will track the value of our crypto portfolio based on the amount we hold and the latest prices.
Create a second table in your base called 'Portfolio'. Add a field called 'Coin' that is linked to the first table (the table you imported CoinMarketCap prices into). Then add a field called 'Price' that is a lookup of the 'Current price' field in the first table.
Add a field called 'Exchange' with type 'Single select' with options for the coin exchanges you use, e.g. 'Binance', 'Coinbase' etc.
Add a field called 'Balance' with type 'Number'. This is how many of the coin you have in that exchange. Add a formula field called 'Value' with the formula {Price}*Balance and select 'Currency' formatting.
We now have a built an Airtable crypto tracker that updates when time we run the request. You can see the total value of your portfolio in the Airtable summary bar.
Import CoinMarketCap API Data Automatically
At the moment, we have to manually run the request and import the prices from CoinMarketCap. We can use Data Fetcher's scheduled requests feature to automatically update them every 15 minutes/ hour/ day etc.
In Data Fetcher, scroll to Schedule and click 'Upgrade'.
A new tab will open where you can select a plan and enter your payment details to upgrade.
Return to the Data Fetcher extension and click 'I've done this'.
Under Schedule click '+ Authorize'.
A new window will now open where you need to authorize the Airtable bases Data Fetcher will be able to access.
By selecting 'All current and future bases in all current and future workspaces' you will avoid having to unauthorize other bases in the future.
Click 'Grant access'.
Back in Data Fetcher, you'll see Schedule this request is now toggled on.
Select how often you want the request to run, e.g. 'Every 15 mins'. Click 'Save' The request will now run on the schedule and import prices from CoinMarketCap automatically.
