Research

How Crypto APIs Deliver On-Chain Data: Transactions & Wallet Balances Explained

Discover how crypto APIs supply on-chain data—like wallet balances and transactions—for developers, analysts, and crypto enthusiasts. Explore API use cases and what to look for in a provider.
Token Metrics Team
6
MIN

The explosive growth of crypto assets and decentralized protocols has fueled demand for accurate, real-time blockchain data. Whether you’re building an application, performing due diligence, or exploring on-chain analytics, knowing how to access transactions and wallet balances is crucial. But do crypto APIs actually provide this level of on-chain data—and how can you use it effectively?

What Are Crypto APIs and Why Are They Essential?

Crypto APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are software gateways that let applications interact with blockchains and related services without managing full nodes or direct infrastructure. These APIs power wallets, portfolio trackers, analytics dashboards, and AI-driven research tools with everything from price feeds to in-depth blockchain data.

Why use a crypto API? Running your own blockchain node can be resource-intensive, requiring disk space, bandwidth, security practices, and ongoing maintenance. An API abstracts this complexity, providing developers and analysts with curated endpoints for questing data on-demand. This is particularly valuable for applications that need:

  • Up-to-date transaction histories
  • Current wallet balances across tokens and networks
  • Wallet activity details
  • Aggregated analytics, like smart money flows and DeFi positions

The Types of On-Chain Data Crypto APIs Provide

On-chain data refers to all the information stored directly on blockchain ledgers. Crypto APIs tap into different layers of this data, including:

  • Transaction Data: Hashes, timestamps, senders, receivers, transferred assets, gas fees, and contract interactions.
  • Wallet Balances: Query current holdings of native coins (like ETH or BTC) and tokens (such as ERC-20s), and sometimes even NFTs.
  • Historical Address Activity: Complete transactional history of wallets, letting you analyze behavioral trends or audit activity.
  • Smart Contract Events: Details about token transfers, liquidity provision, swaps, or governance votes.
  • Network/Protocol Stats: Blockchain metrics like block times, mining data, and node health, important for infrastructure and analytics teams.

Modern crypto APIs go beyond simple read-access, offering data enrichment features such as address labels, scam alerts, and portfolio reconstruction. This enables AI-driven tools and traders to make sense of raw blockchain transactions with greater ease.

How Do Crypto APIs Fetch and Deliver On-Chain Data?

The process of serving real-time, reliable on-chain data is complex. Here’s how reputable API providers typically operate:

  1. Node Infrastructure: Providers run full nodes for each supported blockchain, ingesting every new block.
  2. Data Indexing: Data is parsed, structured, and indexed for fast lookups—allowing APIs to serve requests instantly, even for complex queries.
  3. Aggregation & Enrichment: Some platforms aggregate data across multiple chains or enhance raw data with analytics, labels, or risk scores, helping to contextualize wallet activity.
  4. API Layer Exposure: RESTful or GraphQL endpoints expose this information for developers and researchers.

For example, querying for a wallet’s balance generally involves calling an endpoint such as /address/{wallet}/balances, which returns all supported tokens and quantities for that wallet, directly from on-chain sources. Transaction history requests retrieve confirmed transfers and contract activities, often with additional tags for clarity.

Key Use Cases for On-Chain Transaction and Balance Data

On-chain data accessed via crypto APIs has become foundational in several scenarios:

  • Tracking Portfolio Value: Automated tools instantly aggregate wallet balances and transaction histories across multiple addresses, networks, and asset types.
  • Due Diligence & Audit: On-chain data reveals the actual movement of funds, enabling independent scrutiny for compliance, proof-of-reserves, and forensic analysis.
  • Developing dApps & DeFi Services: Most wallets, swaps, and lending apps rely on APIs to provide balance updates, confirm transactions, and fetch historical activity.
  • On-Chain Analytics: Researchers and AI models monitor whale activity, wallet clustering, and token flows to identify ecosystem trends.
  • Risk Management: Platforms use API-provided on-chain labels to detect scam addresses, risky protocols, or suspicious transaction patterns.

In addition, many quantitative research teams and AI-driven crypto tools ingest on-chain data through APIs to fuel predictive models, market research, and smart contract insights.

Choosing a Crypto API Provider: Essential Parameters

With dozens of API solutions available, consider the following when selecting a crypto API for on-chain data:

  • Data Completeness: Ensure the API supports the networks and asset types you need (e.g., native coins, tokens, NFTs).
  • Latency & Reliability: Fast data delivery and high uptime are critical for real-time trading applications and research automation.
  • Rate Limits & Pricing: Be mindful of free tier restrictions versus your anticipated query volume.
  • Data Enrichment: Does the provider offer wallet labels, scam detection, or analytics layers?
  • Documentation & Support: Robust docs and support channels make integrations smoother and troubleshooting faster.

If you’re integrating advanced analytics or AI-driven insights, prioritize API providers that combine raw on-chain access with actionable, processed intelligence.

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FAQs on Crypto APIs and On-Chain Data

Can I access wallet balances and transaction histories via crypto APIs?

Yes, leading crypto API providers typically offer endpoints to retrieve wallet balances (for both native cryptocurrencies and supported tokens) and to view transaction histories, directly sourced from underlying blockchain ledgers. This streamlines personal portfolio tracking, due diligence, and analytics development.

Are crypto API data outputs reliable and up-to-date?

Reputable API providers maintain robust blockchain node infrastructure and update their databases in real time or near-real time. However, reliability also depends on network congestion, API rate limits, and provider-specific infrastructure. Always review service status and latency commitments before integrating for mission-critical use cases.

Do all crypto APIs support on-chain data for NFTs and Layer-2 networks?

No, coverage varies between providers. Some APIs offer comprehensive data across layer-1 (e.g., Ethereum, Bitcoin) and select layer-2 chains, while others may focus on specific asset classes or blockchains. Likewise, NFT balance and transaction endpoints are only available with APIs that index non-fungible token contracts. Always confirm network and asset support with your chosen provider.

How can developers integrate crypto API on-chain data into their apps?

Most APIs provide REST or GraphQL endpoints that can be queried using common programming languages or HTTP tools. Comprehensive documentation and SDKs (where available) guide developers through authentication, request parameters, and data formatting, making it straightforward to embed wallet balances, transaction lists, or on-chain analytics into web, desktop, or mobile applications.

What are the main benefits of using an API over running a own node?

Using a crypto API saves significant time and resources. Infrastructure, sync issues, storage maintenance, and security are handled by the provider. APIs also enrich data, aggregate multi-chain information, and simplify compliance and access controls, which can be much more complex and costly to reproduce independently.

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes and reference only. It does not constitute financial advice, crypto trading recommendations, or any endorsement of specific assets, platforms, or services. Please conduct your own research before making decisions involving digital assets or blockchain technologies.

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Token Metrics Team
Token Metrics Team

Recent Posts

Research

Fundamental Grade API: Invest with Conviction Using Real Project Signals

Sam Monac
7 min
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Most traders chase price action; Fundamental Grade API helps you see the business behind the token—community traction, tokenomics design, exchange presence, VC signals, and DeFi health—consolidated into one score you can query in code. In a few minutes, you’ll fetch Fundamental Grade, render it in your product, and ship a due-diligence UX that drives trust. Start by grabbing your key at the Get API Key page, Run Hello-TM to verify your first call, then Clone a Template to go live fast.

‍

What You’ll Build in 2 Minutes

  • A minimal script to fetch Fundamental Grade from /v2/fundamental-grade for any symbol (e.g., BTC).

  • Optional curl to smoke-test your key in seconds.

  • A drop-in pattern to display the grade + key drivers in dashboards, screeners, and research tools.

  • Endpoints to consider next: /v2/tm-grade (technical/sentiment/momentum), /v2/price-prediction (scenario planning), /v2/resistance-support (risk levels), /v2/quantmetrics (risk/return stats).

Why This Matters

Beyond price, toward quality. Markets are noisy—hype rises and fades. Fundamental Grade consolidates hard-to-track signals (community growth, token distribution, liquidity venues, investor quality, DeFi integrations) into a clear, comparable score. You get a fast “is this worth time and capital?” answer for screening, allocation, and monitoring.

Build trust into your product. Whether you run an investor terminal, exchange research tab, or a portfolio tool, Fundamental Grade lets users justify positions. Pair it with TM Grade or Quantmetrics for a balanced picture: what to buy (fundamentals) and when to act (signals/levels).

Where to Find 

The Fundamental Grade is easily accessible in the top right of the API Reference. Grab the cURL request for seamless access!

👉 Ready to build? Get API Key • Run Hello-TM • Clone a Template

Live Demo & Templates

  • Due-Diligence Token Page: Show Fundamental Grade with a component breakdown (community, tokenomics, exchange presence, VC, DeFi).

  • Screener/Ranker: Sort by Fundamental Grade, add market-cap bands, and flag “rising fundamentals” week-over-week.

  • Allocation Dashboard: Combine Fundamental Grade with TM Grade and Quantmetrics for resilient portfolio construction.

Kick off from our quickstarts—fork a dashboard or screener template, plug your key, and deploy. If you’re new here, Run Hello-TM first to confirm your environment, then scale into product features. When you outgrow the free tier, compare API plans.

How It Works (Under the Hood)

Fundamental Grade aggregates multiple project-quality signals into a normalized score and label (e.g., Strong / Average / Weak). Typical sub-signals include:

  • Community: momentum across channels (dev activity/user traction signals where applicable).

  • Tokenomics: supply schedule, distribution, unlock dynamics, incentives.

  • Exchange Presence: venue coverage, depth/liquidity proxies.

  • VC/Investor Signals: quality/durability of backing and ecosystem support.

  • DeFi Health: integrations, TVL context, composability footprint.

At query time, you call /v2/fundamental-grade with a symbol; responses include the overall score plus component scores you can visualize. For dashboards with many assets, batch fetches and short-TTL caching keep pages responsive. If you push alerts (e.g., “Fundamental Grade upgraded”), prefer webhooks or queued jobs to avoid hammering the API.

Production Checklist

  • Rate limits: Know plan caps; add client throttling and request queues.

  • Retries/backoff: Exponential backoff + jitter; surface actionable error messages.

  • Idempotency: Prevent duplicate downstream actions on retried calls.

  • Caching: Use memory/Redis/KV with short TTLs; pre-warm popular symbols.

  • Webhooks & jobs: For alerts, use signed webhooks or scheduled jobs; log delivery outcomes.

  • Pagination/Bulk: When covering many tokens, paginate or process in batches.

  • Error catalog: Map 4xx/5xx to user-visible fixes; log request IDs.

  • Observability: Track p95/p99 and error rate per endpoint; alert on spikes.

  • Security: Keep API keys in secrets managers; rotate regularly.

Use Cases & Patterns

  • Screener Maker: Rank tokens by Fundamental Grade, filter by market cap/sector, and add “rising fundamentals” badges for discovery.

  • Dashboard Builder: On each token page, show the headline grade with a component chart; link to methodology for transparency.

  • Research & PM Tools: Flag downgrades/upgrades to prompt re-evaluation; attach notes to component changes (e.g., DeFi health drop).

  • Allocator / Risk: Require a minimum Fundamental Grade before inclusion; rebalance only when grade crosses thresholds.

  • Community/Discord: Post weekly upgrades as digest messages with links back to your app.

Next Steps

  • Get API Key — generate a key and start free.

  • Run Hello-TM — verify your first successful call.

  • Clone a Template — deploy a screener or token page today.

  • Watch the demo: VIDEO_URL_HERE

  • Compare plans: Scale confidently with API plans.

FAQs

1) What does the Fundamental Grade API return?
A JSON payload with the overall score/grade plus component scores (e.g., community, tokenomics, exchange presence, VC backing, DeFi health) and timestamps. Use the overall grade for ranking and component scores for explanations.

2) How fast is the endpoint? Do you publish SLOs?
The API is engineered for predictable latency. For high-traffic dashboards, add short-TTL caching and batch requests; for alerts, use jobs/webhooks to minimize round-trips.

3) Can I combine Fundamental Grade with TM Grade or signals?
Yes. A common pattern is Fundamental Grade for quality filter + TM Grade for technical/sentiment context + Trading Signals for timing and Support/Resistance for risk placement.

4) How “accurate” is the grade?
It’s an opinionated synthesis of multiple inputs—not financial advice. Historical studies can inform usage, but past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. Always layer risk management and testing.

5) Do you offer SDKs and examples?
You can use REST directly (see JS/Python above). The docs include quickstarts, Postman, and ready-to-clone templates—start with Run Hello-TM.

6) Polling vs webhooks for fundamentals updates?
For UI pages, cached polling works well. For event-style notifications (upgrades/downgrades), prefer webhooks or scheduled jobs to avoid spiky traffic.

7) What about pricing, limits, and enterprise SLAs?
Begin free and scale as you grow. See API plans for allowances; enterprise SLAs and support are available—contact us.

‍

Research

TM Grade API: Turn Market Noise into One Clear Signal

Sam Monac
7 min
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Cluttered charts and whipsaw price action make it hard to act with conviction. The TM Grade API turns that noise into a single, opinionated signal you can build on—ideal for trading bots, dashboards, and research tools. In this guide, you’ll pull TM Grade in code, see how it powers products, and ship something useful in minutes. Start with the Get API Key, then Run Hello-TM in the docs and Clone a Template to go live fast.

‍

What You’ll Build in 2 Minutes

  • A minimal script that fetches TM Grade from /v2/tm-grade for a given token (e.g., BTC).

  • An optional curl call to test the endpoint instantly.

  • A path to production using a copy-ready template (bot, dashboard, or screener).

  • (Mentioned endpoints you can add next: /v2/trading-signals, /v2/price-prediction, /v2/resistance-support.)

Why This Matters

One score, clear decision. TM Grade distills technicals, sentiment, and momentum into a single, interpretable value from Strong Sell → Strong Buy. Instead of juggling indicators, you get an opinionated, trade-ready signal you can rank, alert on, and route into strategies.

Built for builders. Developers integrate TM Grade to filter universes, power dashboards, or trigger bots—with predictable performance and a schema designed for programmatic use. Pair it with webhooks and caching to slash latency and polling costs.

Where to Find 

In the top right of the API Reference you can find the curl request for your desired language. This is what you can use to access the TM Grade endpoint. 

‍

👉 Ready to go further? Get API Key • Run Hello-TM 

Live Demo & Templates

  • Trading Bot Starter: Use TM Grade to filter a trade universe and gate entries with your own risk rules.

  • Dashboard Token Page: Show TM Grade alongside price, S/R levels, and signals for instant context.

  • Screener/Leaderboard: Rank tokens by TM Grade and highlight movers.

You can start from our quickstarts in the docs—fork, plug your key, and deploy in minutes. Run Hello-TM to see the first call succeed, then scale into a bot or dashboard. When you’re ready for higher limits, compare API plans.

How It Works (Under the Hood)

TM Grade blends multiple evidence streams—technical momentum, market structure, sentiment, and other model inputs—into a single normalized score (e.g., 0–100) and a label (Strong Sell to Strong Buy). This opinionated synthesis is what separates TM Grade from raw market data: it’s designed to be actionable.

Polling vs webhooks. For screens and dashboards, lightweight polling (or cached fetches) is fine. For trading agents and alerting, use webhooks or short polling with backoff and caching to cut latency and call volume. Combine TM Grade with endpoints like /v2/trading-signals for timing or /v2/resistance-support for risk placement.

Production Checklist

  • Rate limits: Know your plan caps; add client-side throttling.

  • Retries/backoff: Exponential backoff + jitter; avoid thundering herd.

  • Idempotency: Ensure repeated calls don’t double-execute downstream actions.

  • Caching: Short-TTL cache for reads (memory/Redis/KV); ETag if available.

  • Webhooks: Use signatures/secret validation; queue and retry on failure.

  • Pagination/Bulk: If fetching many symbols, batch requests with pagination.

  • Error catalog: Map 4xx/5xx to user-visible fixes; log status, payload, and request ID.

  • Observability: Track p95/p99 latency and error rate per endpoint; alert on spikes.

Use Cases & Patterns

  • Bot Builder (Headless): Filter tradable universes to Strong Buy/Buy, then confirm with timing from /v2/trading-signals before placing orders.

  • Dashboard Builder (Product): Show TM Grade on token pages with badges, color states, and last-updated timestamps; add S/R lines for context.

  • Screener Maker (Lightweight Tools): Build a Top-N by TM Grade list with sector filters; cache results and add one-click alerts.

  • Research/Allocation: Surface grade trends (rising/falling) to inform rebalances and risk budgets.

  • Community/Discord: Post grade changes to channels; rate-limit announcements and link to token detail views.

Next Steps

  • Get API Key — start free and generate a key in seconds.

  • Run Hello-TM — verify your first successful call.

  • Clone a Template — ship a bot, dashboard, or screener today.

  • Watch the demo: VIDEO_URL_HERE

  • Compare plans: When you’re ready to scale, review API plans.

FAQs

1) What does the TM Grade API return?
A JSON payload with fields like symbol, score (e.g., 0–100), and a categorical grade from Strong Sell to Strong Buy, designed for programmatic ranking, filtering, and display.

2) How fast is it? Do you have latency/SLOs?
TM endpoints are engineered for reliability with predictable latency. For mission-critical bots, add short-TTL caching and webhooks to minimize round-trips and jitter.

3) Can I use TM Grade in trading bots?
Yes. Many developers use TM Grade to pre-filter tokens and pair it with /v2/trading-signals for entries/exits. Always backtest and paper-trade before going live.

4) How accurate is TM Grade?
TM Grade is an opinionated model synthesizing multiple inputs. Backtests are illustrative—not guarantees. Use it as one component in a diversified strategy with risk controls.

5) Do you have SDKs and examples?
Yes—JavaScript and Python examples above, plus quickstarts and templates in the docs: Run Hello-TM.

6) Polling vs webhooks—what should I pick?
Dashboards: cache + light polling. Bots/alerts: prefer webhooks (or event-driven flows) to reduce latency and API usage.

7) Pricing, limits, and enterprise SLAs?
You can start free and scale up as you grow. See API plans for rate limits and tiers. Enterprise options and SLAs are available—contact us.

‍

Research

Indices Hub: Join the Waitlist for TM Global 100 (2025)

Sam Monac
7 min
MIN

If you’ve been waiting for a simple, rules-based way to own the TM Global 100—without micromanaging tokens—this hub is for you. TM Global 100 is a rules-based crypto index that holds the top 100 assets in bull markets and moves to stablecoins in bear markets, with weekly rebalancing and transparent holdings/transaction logs you can verify at any time. It’s designed for hands-off allocators who want disciplined exposure and for active traders who want a core that adapts to regimes—without guesswork or endless rebalancing. Below you’ll find how it works, who it’s for, and exactly how to join the waitlist so you’re first in line when trading opens.

→ Join the waitlist to be first to trade TM Global 100.

TL;DR (snippet)

  • What it is: A rules-based index that holds the top-100 in bull markets and exits to stablecoins in bear markets.

  • Why it matters: Weekly rebalances + transparent holdings and transaction logs.

  • Who it’s for: Hands-off allocators and active traders who want a disciplined core.

  • Next step: Join the waitlist to be first to trade TM Global 100.

Why Indices Matter in October 2025

Search intent right now: investors want credible, rules-based crypto exposure that can participate in upside while reducing drawdown pain. A crypto index is a basket of assets selected and maintained by rules—so you avoid one-off bets and constant manual rebalancing.

With liquidity rotating quickly across sectors, weekly rebalancing helps maintain alignment with current market-cap leaders, while regime switching provides a disciplined, pre-defined response to bearish conditions. The result is a clear, consistent process that removes emotional decision-making and operational drag.

Definition (snippet-friendly): A crypto index is a rules-based basket of digital assets that’s constructed, weighted, and rebalanced on a set schedule.

How the TM Global 100 Index Works (Plain English)

  • Regime switching:


    • Bullish: Hold the top-100 crypto assets by market cap.

    • Bearish: Exit all positions into stablecoins and wait for a new bullish signal.

  • Weekly rebalancing: Reflects updated rankings and weights across the market-cap universe.

  • Transparency: Strategy modal shows methodology and thresholds; Gauge → Holdings Treemap → Transactions Log make every change visible.

  • What you’ll see on launch: Price tile, gauge (“rebalances weekly”), 100 tokens, one-click Buy Index flow, and a 90-second checkout via embedded wallet.

Soft CTA: See the strategy and rules.

Benefits at a Glance (Why This Beats DIY)

  • Time saved: No more manual coin-picking, sizing, and calendar rebalances.

  • Lower execution drag: One click vs. dozens of individual orders that can add slippage.

  • Stay current: Weekly rebalances help you capture market-cap changes without constant monitoring.

  • Discipline in drawdowns: Automatic switch to stablecoins removes panic decisions.

  • Radical visibility: Holdings treemap, table, and transactions log show what you own and what changed—every week.

  • Operational simplicity: Embedded wallet and a unified dashboard; no juggling chains and exchanges.

Step-by-Step: How to Get Early Access (Waitlist)

  1. Open the Indices Hub: Head to the Token Metrics Indices hub.

  2. Choose TM Global 100: Open the index page and review the Gauge → Strategy → Holdings.

  3. Join the Waitlist: Add your email to be notified the moment trading opens.

  4. (Optional) Connect Wallet: Pre-connect your wallet for a faster launch-day checkout.

  5. Launch-Day Flow (~90 seconds): Tap Buy Index, review fees/slippage, confirm, and see your position in My Indices.

  6. Track Rebalances: After each weekly rebalance or regime change, check the Transactions Log for updates.

→ Join the waitlist to be first to trade TM Global 100.

Decision Guide: Is This Right for You?

  • Hands-Off Allocator: Want broad exposure without micromanaging? Yes—rules-based + weekly rebalances.

  • Active Trader: Need a core that sits in stables during bears while you hunt edges elsewhere? Fits.

  • TM Member/Prospect: Already trust TM research? This is the rules-based version of “own the market.”

  • Risk-Aware Newcomer: Prefer a clear framework over vibes? Methodology is visible and auditable.

  • DIY Basket Builder: Tired of missed rebalances and slippage? One click can reduce execution drag.

  • Data-First Analyst: Want to verify? See the holdings, weights, and transaction history anytime.

‍

FAQs

1) What is a TM Global 100 index?
It’s a rules-based crypto index that holds the top 100 assets by market cap in bullish regimes and moves to stablecoins in bearish regimes. It rebalances weekly and shows transparent holdings and transactions.

2) How often does the index rebalance?
Weekly, with additional full-portfolio switches when the market regime changes.

3) What triggers the move to stablecoins?
A proprietary market signal. When bearish, the index exits all token positions into stablecoins and waits for a bullish re-entry signal.

4) Can I fund with USDC or fiat?
At launch, funding and settlement options surface based on the embedded wallet and supported chains. USDC payouts are supported for selling; additional entry options may be introduced later.

5) Is the wallet custodial?
No. The Embedded Wallet is self-custodial—you control your funds while using a streamlined, on-chain checkout.

6) How are fees shown?
Before you confirm, the Buy flow shows estimated gas, platform fee, maximum slippage, and the minimum expected value.

7) How do I join the waitlist?
Go to the Token Metrics Indices hub or the TM Global 100 strategy page and submit your email. We’ll notify you the moment trading opens.

Security, Risk & Transparency

  • Self-custody: Embedded smart wallet; you hold the keys.

  • 2FA & session hygiene: Use strong auth practices for your TM account.

  • Fee clarity: Gas, platform fee, and slippage are displayed before you confirm.

  • Auditability: Holdings, treemap, and transactions log are always visible.

  • Model limits: Regime logic can be wrong, and markets can gap; rules reduce discretion—not risk.

  • Regional availability: Product surfaces may vary by region as we expand.

Crypto is volatile and can lose value. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This article is for research/education, not financial advice.

Conclusion + Related Reads

If you want a disciplined, rules-based core that adapts to market regimes, TM Global 100 is built for you. Weekly rebalances, transparent holdings, and one-click buy remove operational friction so you can focus on your strategy.

→ Join the waitlist to be first to trade TM Global 100.

Related Reads

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