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How Do I Keep My Cryptocurrency Safe?

Learn how to keep your cryptocurrency safe with wallets, 2FA, and AI-driven research. Discover how Token Metrics helps you make secure, informed crypto decisions.
Token Metrics Team
8 min
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The cryptocurrency market has created life-changing wealth for millions, but it has also attracted hackers, scammers, and bad actors. From exchange hacks to phishing scams and rug pulls, billions of dollars in crypto have been lost due to poor security practices.

If you’re serious about trading or investing in crypto, one of your top priorities should be keeping your cryptocurrency safe. In this guide, we’ll walk through the biggest risks to your crypto security, best practices to protect your assets, and how Token Metrics can help you make informed, safe decisions when navigating the crypto market.

Why Is Cryptocurrency Security So Important?

Unlike a traditional bank account, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible. If your funds are stolen, there’s usually no way to recover them.

  • No centralized authority: There’s no bank to call for refunds.
  • Pseudonymous transactions: It’s nearly impossible to trace funds once they’re moved.
  • High-value targets: Hackers actively target crypto investors due to the potential for large payoffs.

This means you are your own bank—and you’re responsible for protecting your funds.

Common Threats to Your Cryptocurrency

Before learning how to protect your crypto, you need to know what you’re up against:

1. Exchange Hacks

Crypto exchanges are frequent targets for hackers. Even top-tier exchanges like Mt. Gox and FTX have experienced devastating losses.

2. Phishing Attacks

Scammers use fake websites, emails, or social media accounts to trick you into revealing your private keys or login credentials.

3. Malware & Keyloggers

Cybercriminals install malicious software on your devices to steal passwords and seed phrases.

4. Rug Pulls & Scams

Fraudulent projects lure investors with promises of high returns, then disappear with the funds.

5. Human Error

Lost passwords, mishandled private keys, or accidental transfers can lead to permanent loss of funds.

How to Keep Your Cryptocurrency Safe

Here’s a step-by-step approach to safeguarding your crypto:

1. Use a Secure Wallet

Hardware Wallets:

  • The safest option for long-term storage.
  • Devices like Ledger or Trezor keep your private keys offline, out of reach of hackers.

Software Wallets:

  • Convenient for active trading but more vulnerable to attacks.
  • Use reputable wallets like MetaMask or Trust Wallet and enable strong security features.

Pro Tip: Use a hardware wallet for long-term holdings and a software wallet for small, active trading balances.

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Always enable 2FA on your exchange accounts, wallets, and email addresses.

  • Use Google Authenticator or Authy, not SMS-based 2FA, which is susceptible to SIM swaps.

3. Beware of Phishing & Fake Websites

  • Double-check URLs before logging into exchanges or wallets.
  • Never click links from suspicious emails or DMs.
  • Bookmark the official websites of your exchanges and platforms.

4. Keep Your Seed Phrase Offline

Your wallet’s seed phrase is the master key to your funds.

  • Write it down on paper and store it securely (safe, vault).
  • Avoid storing it in digital form (cloud storage, photos).
  • Consider splitting the phrase into parts and storing them in separate locations.

5. Research Projects Before Investing

Many scams and rug pulls target uninformed investors chasing hype.

How Token Metrics Helps:

  • Use AI-powered Investor Grades to assess projects for long-term viability.
  • Leverage Moonshot Finder to discover vetted early-stage tokens with real growth potential—not scams.

6. Diversify Your Storage

Don’t keep all your crypto in one place.

  • Use multiple wallets for different purposes (trading vs. holding).
  • Spread funds across hardware, software, and exchange wallets.

7. Stay Updated on Threats

The crypto landscape changes fast.

  • Follow credible crypto news platforms.
  • Monitor regulatory updates and security alerts.
  • Use Token Metrics to stay ahead of market narratives and avoid projects flagged as high-risk.

How Token Metrics Helps You Stay Secure

While Token Metrics isn’t a wallet or exchange, it’s a powerful AI-powered platform designed to help you make safer investment decisions.

1. AI-Powered Risk Analysis

Token Metrics uses AI-driven evaluations to score projects, helping you avoid high-risk tokens and scam projects.

2. Investor & Trader Grades

Our proprietary grading system helps you quickly identify safe, high-quality assets for both short-term trading and long-term holding.

3. Moonshot Finder

Interested in low-cap tokens? The Moonshot Finder helps you spot legitimate early-stage projects before they pump—without falling into scams.

4. Narrative & Market Tracking

Stay ahead of emerging narratives and security concerns with Token Metrics’ real-time AI-driven analysis, helping you dodge risky trends.

Practical Security Checklist for Every Crypto Holder

  1. Use a hardware wallet for long-term holdings.
  2. Enable 2FA on all accounts—never rely on SMS-based security.
  3. Store seed phrases offline and securely.
  4. Avoid suspicious links and verify all URLs.
  5. Research every project using platforms like Token Metrics.
  6. Diversify storage across multiple wallets.
  7. Stay informed about new threats and market risks.

Final Thoughts

So, how do you keep your cryptocurrency safe? It comes down to strong storage practices, personal vigilance, and making informed investment decisions.

While hardware wallets and 2FA secure your assets, knowing where to invest is just as important. That’s where Token Metrics comes in—using AI-powered analysis to help you avoid scams, choose safe projects, and trade with confidence.

In crypto, you are your own bank—so take your security seriously. And with Token Metrics guiding your decisions, you can navigate this high-risk market safely and profitably.

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About Token Metrics
Token Metrics: AI-powered crypto research and ratings platform. We help investors make smarter decisions with unbiased Token Metrics Ratings, on-chain analytics, and editor-curated “Top 10” guides. Our platform distills thousands of data points into clear scores, trends, and alerts you can act on.
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Token Metrics Team

Recent Posts

Research

12 Best Cryptocurrency APIs - Real-time Prices, On-Chain Crypto Data, AI Crypto Trading Signals

Token Metrics Team
8 minutes

Click here to buy Cryptocurrencies from Gate.io

Cryptocurrencies have revolutionized the way people make payments and investments. With the rise of digital assets, Cryptocurrency APIs have become essential tools for developers to build applications that can interact with the blockchain. An API allows you to connect to a third-party service and retrieve or submit data in a standardized format to a website or application.

Token Metrics Crypto API is the best cryptocurrency API currently available. Use Token Metrics crypto API for real-time prices, on-chain data, and AI crypto trading signals from one powerful crypto API. This crypto API is built for speed and accuracy to help you trade smarter instantly.We will look into the features and advantages, discuss the different types of APIs, and learn how to use them to create powerful applications. We will also cover the pros and cons of using these APIs, and provide examples of how they can be used. Last but not least, we will discuss the pricing of these APIs and provide some best practices for using them.

Introduction to Crypto APIs

Cryptocurrency APIs are Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow developers to access and integrate cryptocurrency data into their applications. APIs provide access to a variety of data such as prices, transactions, and blockchains. With the help of these APIs, developers can create powerful applications that can interact with the crypto world.

Benefits of Using Crypto APIs

The most obvious benefit of using cryptocurrency APIs is that they provide access to a wealth of data that can be used to build powerful applications. The APIs provide access to real-time data. This data can be used to create applications that can monitor the market, track transactions, and even make predictions about the future of the crypto world.

Another benefit of using cryptocurrency APIs is that they are easy to use and provide a consistent and reliable source of data. The APIs are designed to be user friendly, so developers don’t have to worry about getting bogged down in technical details. The APIs also provide reliable, up-to-date data that can be used to create accurate and reliable applications.

Cryptocurrency APIs can also save developers a lot of time and effort. Instead of having to manually gather data, developers can simply use the APIs and get the data they need. This can save developers a lot of time and effort, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their applications.

Types of Cryptocurrency APIs

There are a variety of cryptocurrency APIs available, each with its own set of features and advantages. The most common types of APIs are:

  • Price APIs provide access to real-time price data for a variety of cryptocurrencies. These APIs can be used to monitor the market and make predictions about the future of the crypto world.
  • Transaction APIs provide access to data about transactions that have occurred in the blockchain. This data can be used to track transactions and determine the current state of the blockchain.
  • Blockchain APIs provide access to the blockchain itself. These APIs are used to interact directly with the blockchain, allowing developers to create applications that can interact with the blockchain.

Click here to buy Cryptocurrencies from Gate.io

List of 12 Best Cryptocurrency APIs You Can Count On

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits and types of crypto APIs, let’s look at the best APIs to get crypto data today.

1. Token Metrics: Token Metrics crypto API offers  real-time prices, on-chain data, and AI trading signals from one powerful crypto API.  It is the best crypto API built for speed and accuracy to help you trade smarter instantly. Token Metrics is an AI driven platform which enables its users research thousands of cryptocurrencies in an automated way, without manually going through coins individually. Use Token Metrics crypto API for fast and most accurate crypto data.

What’s inside the $TMAI API?

AI-Powered Trading Signals – Bullish and bearish calls backed by over 80 data points
Real-Time Grades – Instantly assess token momentum with Trader & Investor Grades
Curated Indices – Plug into ready-to-use crypto portfolios by sector or market cap
Lightning-Fast Performance – Built for bots, dashboards, dApps, and next-gen trading tools

Whether you’re building a DeFi dashboard, an alpha-sniping bot, or your own crypto terminal — this is your edge.

Price: Free

2. CoinMarketCapCoinMarketCap offers one of the most popular APIs for retrieving real-time cryptocurrency market data, including prices, volume, and market capitalization for over 8,000 coins and tokens. It also offers endpoints for historical data and global averages.

Price Range: $0-$700 a month

3. CoinGeckoCoinGecko has an API that provides a comprehensive set of cryptocurrency data, including market data, developer activity, and community metrics for more than 10,000 coins and tokens. API is both paid and free, depending on your needs.

Price Range: Starting from $129 per month

4. CryptoCompare: CryptoCompare offers endpoints for news articles, social media activity, and mining data. It strives to find the best places to store, trade and mine cryptocurrencies.

Price Range: Free

5. BitMEX: BitMEX is a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange that provides access to real-time prices and historical data. Their API provides instant access to a variety of market data such as trading volumes and market caps.

Price & Plans: Custom 

6. CoinDesk: CoinDesk is a platform for media, events, data and indices for the cryptocurrency market. CoinDesk Indices is a product of CoinDesk that offers access to cryptocurrency data with ease.

Price: Free

7. Bitstamp: Bitstamp is a cryptocurrency exchange that provides access to real-time prices and historical data. It provides premium access to crypto trading for both individuals and institutions through high liquidity, reliable order execution and constant uptime. 

Price: 0.50% for those with under $10,000 in 30-day trading volume

8. CoinMarketCal: CoinMarketCal is a database of upcoming events related to cryptocurrencies, allowing you to track things like unlocks, giveaways, and more. Their API can be used to track your favourite coins.

Price: Free

9. Poloniex: Poloniex is a cryptocurrency exchange that provides access to real-time prices and historical data. The API also provides access to a variety of market data such as trading volumes and market caps.

Price: The Maker and Taker fee rates for trading USDT-collateralized perpetual contracts on Poloniex are 0.01% and 0.04% respectively, and the changes apply to all customers regardless of their trade volume.

10. Binance: Binance is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges and provides access to a variety of data such as prices, transactions, and blockchains. The API also allows developers to interact with the Binance platform, allowing them to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies. 

Price: Free

 11. Kraken: Kraken is a cryptocurrency exchange and also provides access to crypto data such as prices, transactions, and blockchains. Like Binance, their API also allows you to interact with Kraken through code.

Price: 0.2-0.3% of the 30-day trade volume

12. CCXT: CCXT is a library for cryptocurrency trading and e-commerce with support for many bitcoin/ether/altcoin exchange markets and merchant APIs.

Price: $0-$29

Note: The prices are subject to change or may have already changed.

How to Choose the Best Crypto API

Choosing the best cryptocurrency API for your application can be a daunting task. There are a variety of APIs available, each with its own set of features and advantages. So, it’s important to take the time to research the different APIs and determine which one is right for your application.

When choosing a Cryptocurrency API, it’s important to consider the features it provides. 

Here are a few questions you need answers to:

  • Does the API provide access to real-time price data? 
  • Does it provide access to the blockchain? 
  • Does it provide access to a variety of market data? 

It’s also important to consider the pricing of the API. As mentioned above, some APIs are free, while others require a subscription fee. It’s important to consider the cost of the API and make sure it fits within your budget. 

Best Practices for Using Crypto APIs

Using crypto APIs can be a great way to access data and create powerful applications. However, there are a few best practices to keep in mind when using these APIs.

  • The first best practice is to make sure the API is reliable. The API you use should be up-to-date and provide accurate data.
  • The second best practice is to make sure the API is secure. Make sure the API you are using is secure and provides the necessary security measures.
  • The third best practice is to use the API responsibly. This API has to be used responsibly and avoid being abused.
  • Finally, make sure the API is easy to use and quick to understand.

 To explore our FREE Token Metrics crypto API, click here.

Click here to buy Cryptocurrencies from Gate.io

Announcements

Introducing Token Metrics Investor Grade

Token Metrics Team
5 minutes

Token Metrics is proud to launch the "TM Investor Grade" to help investors identify promising long-term investments in the world of cryptocurrency. The grade is comprised of three subsets: 

  • The Fundamental Grade
  • The Technology Grade, and 
  • The Valuation Grade. 

Our statistical analysis and machine learning techniques help calculate these grades. They account for many data points to provide a strong indication of the relative strength of each crypto asset or a project.

The TM Investor Grade is intended for use by investors looking to hold onto investments for a longer period of time, created by combining the Fundamental Grade with the Technology Grade and Valuation Grade.

Fundamental Grade

Fundamental analysis has always been a crucial part of the research process at Token Metrics. Before considering any potential long-term investments, we conduct a thorough fundamental analysis to understand an asset's underlying strengths and weaknesses. Our use of fundamental analysis is how we discovered the promising investment opportunity in Helium back in 2018.

However, manually performing fundamental analysis on every token in the market is not feasible. This is why our research and data science teams automated the process. The result is our Automated Long-term Investor Grade. This grade considers a wide range of data points and applies statistical analysis to provide scores in various categories, including valuation, investors, tokenomics, community, and more. 

Technology Grade

Token Metrics is also known for conducting code reviews on cryptocurrency projects. This is how we discovered that MATIC was a particularly strong project. Similar to fundamental analysis, our blockchain engineers carried out these reviews manually. However, we have now automated the entire process. Using open source data, we are able to provide technology scores for nearly all crypto assets. This is extremely valuable for investors, as it allows them to assess the long-term security and feasibility of different investments. Our technology scoring is based on three main categories: development activity, security and audit, and code quality.

The development activity category takes into account the contributions of the development community and tracks various community metrics. The security and audit category looks at the security of a project and tries to determine its resilience to hacks and other vulnerabilities. The code quality category measures how well the project's code is written, by evaluating the number of bugs and violations it has and how well it adheres to best coding practices and standards.

We are thrilled that our data science team, in collaboration with our engineering team, has been able to use statistical analysis to scale up our powerful technology scoring to cover almost all assets in the market.

Valuation Grade

The valuation grade compares a project's fully diluted value, or FDV, with the average FDV of different sectors that project belongs to.

Consider this example:

  • CRV belongs to sector A and B
  • CRV's FDV = 10
  • Average FDV in sector A = 20
  • Average FDV in sector B = 50

This will show a high valuation grade because the project is undervalued compared to its sectors.

By combining these grades, we get the TM Investor Grade which is much more powerful in determining the strength of the project in the long run.

How To Access

To view the Investor Grade, you can go to the individual token details page. Click on the 'Investor' tab on the left of the screen, and then click on the 'Fundamentals' tab. Then, you will be able to see how the asset is performing in each of the 9 categories we use . All these categories are combined to create the overall Fundamental grade. To generate this grade, we use a wide variety of data sources to gather all the necessary information.

In the same tab, you will find the 'Technology' grade. This grade comprises many different data points. These data points combine into three major categories:

  • Development Activity
  • Security and Audit, and 
  • Code Quality.

You can also access the newly-launched feature on the Rating page by pressing the Investor switch next to Trader. This will help you sort all crypto assets by our Long-term Investor Grade.

If you look at the Ratings page - sorted by Investor Grade in descending order [highest to lowest] - these are assets that Token Metrics believes have strong potential in the future.

The TM Investor Grade is a powerful tool for evaluating the long-term potential of cryptocurrency projects. By considering various data points, including fundamental analysis, technology scoring, and valuation grades, the grade provides a comprehensive assessment of a project's strengths and weaknesses.

The grade updates regularly to reflect changing market conditions, making it an essential tool for anyone looking to invest in the cryptocurrency space.

FAQs

1. How does the Investor Grade differ from the Trader Grade?

The Investor Grade is intended for long-term investing, while the Trader Grade is geared toward short-term trading. The data points used to calculate the Investor Grade differ from those used for the Trader Grade.

2. Which grade should I pay more attention to - the Investor Grade or Trader Grade?

If you are interested in short-term trades based on price action, such as swing or day trades, you should consider the Trader Grade. On the other hand, the Investor Grade is more suitable for customers who want to invest long-term and hold on to their assets for the potential of significant returns or to discover undervalued assets.

NFTs

Best NFT Marketplaces - 10 Marketplaces for NFTs in 2023

Token Metrics Team
5 minutes

As the world of cryptocurrency continues to evolve and the blockchain revolution continues to gain traction, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are becoming increasingly popular. NFTs are digital assets that are stored on the blockchain and are unique and non-interchangeable. They are used to represent everything from art, music, videos, and digital collectibles. With the rise of NFTs, more and more people are looking for the best NFT marketplaces to buy and sell their NFTs. If you are someone who is also looking for the top NFT marketplaces to buy, sell, and trade NFTs on, this is the place to be.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what an NFT marketplace is and how they work. We’ll also provide a list of the best NFT marketplaces, so you can find the perfect place to buy or sell your digital artwork.

What Is an NFT Marketplace?

An NFT marketplace is a digital platform specifically designed to facilitate the sale and purchase of NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens. NFTs are digital artworks that are created, bought, and sold on these marketplaces. They are unique digital tokens that are stored on the blockchain and can be bought, sold, and traded. It is the perfect place to find and purchase digital art works created by talented artists from around the world.

The concept of NFTs has been around for a few years, but it has only recently started to gain traction. As more people become aware of the potential of NFTs, the demand for these marketplaces is increasing. There are now many different NFT marketplaces available, each offering something unique and different.

NFT marketplaces are a great way to find and purchase unique digital artwork from talented artists. They are also a great way to invest in digital art, as NFTs can be bought, sold, and traded for a profit.

How Do NFT Marketplaces Work?

NFT marketplaces work by connecting buyers and sellers of digital artwork. Buyers can browse through the different artworks available, and then purchase the artwork they like. The artwork is stored on the blockchain, and the buyer receives a unique token that represents the artwork. This token can then be used to buy, sell, or trade the artwork.

When a buyer purchases an artwork, the money goes to the artist who created the artwork. The marketplace then takes a small commission for facilitating the transaction. The commission varies from marketplace to marketplace, but usually, it is around 5-10%.

The artwork is stored on the blockchain, and the buyer receives a unique token that represents the artwork. This token can then be used to buy, sell, or trade the artwork. The token can also be used as a form of digital currency and can be exchanged for other digital assets like cryptocurrencies.

NFT marketplaces are a great way to find, buy, and sell digital artwork. They are also a great way to invest in digital art, as NFTs can be bought, sold, and traded for a profit.

Why Is It Important to Understand the Best NFT Marketplaces?

It is important to understand the best NFT marketplaces because they provide users with a secure, user-friendly platform to buy and sell NFTs. The marketplaces also provide users with access to a variety of services such as NFT auctions, NFT staking, NFT creation, and more.

The best NFT marketplaces also provide users with the option to purchase NFTs using cryptocurrency. This makes it easier for users to purchase NFTs without having to rely on traditional currency. The marketplaces also make it easy for users to store and manage their NFTs.

Finally, the NFT marketplaces also provide users with access to a wide variety of NFTs. This allows users to easily find and purchase the NFTs they are looking for.

List of Best NFT Marketplaces

The following is a list of the best NFT marketplaces for 2023. All of these marketplaces offer something unique and different and are great places to find and purchase digital artworks.

  1. OpenSea: OpenSea launched in 2017 and became one of the most popular NFT marketplaces. It has a wide selection of digital art, ranging from digital collectibles to digital artwork. OpenSea also has a built-in auction system, which makes it easy to buy and sell digital artwork.
  2. Magic Eden: Magic Eden started as an NFT marketplace for Solana but now supports multiple blockchains to buy, sell, and trade NFTs on.
  3. Rarible: Rarible launched in 2020 and became an important marketplace for digital art. It has a huge selection of digital artwork from talented artists, and it also has a built-in auction system with 0% fees.  
  4. SuperRare: SuperRare is another popular NFT marketplace launched in 2018, powered by a community of artists, curators, collectors and partners.
  5. MakersPlace: MakersPlace marketplace launched in 2018, for rare, authentic and curated digital art. It’s a great place for renown artists powered by blockchain technology.
  6. Foundation: Foundation is an NFT marketplace launched in 2021, that specializes in digital collectibles. It has a large selection of digital collectibles with a built-in auction system.
  7. Decentraland: Decentraland launched in 2020. It is a virtual destination for digital assets. You can buy land, estates, avatar wearables and names in the Decentraland Marketplace.
  8. Sorare: Sorare is another NFT marketplace launched in 2019 that specializes in digital collectibles where you can collect, play and win officially licensed digital cards featuring the world's best global football, NBA and MLB players.
  9. Dapper Labs: Dapper Labs was founded in 2018. It uses the power of play to deliver blockchain-based experiences and digital collectibles that are made for you and ready for the real world.
  10. Nifty Gateway: Nifty Gateway is another NFT marketplace you can use. It offers a diverse range of art and collectible NFTs which are available as Curated Drops.

Conclusion

NFT marketplaces are a great way to find, buy, and sell digital artwork. They are also a great way to invest in digital art, as NFTs can be bought, sold, and traded for a profit.

Whether you’re looking to buy digital artwork or invest in digital art, these marketplaces are the perfect place to start. So why wait? Start exploring these marketplaces and find the perfect NFT for you today.

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