> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cryptoquant.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently Asked Questions

> Answers to common questions about the CryptoQuant API — authentication, rate limits, credits, data freshness, supported assets, response format, pricing, and the MCP server.

## Getting started

### What is the CryptoQuant API?

The CryptoQuant API provides on-chain data, market data, and aggregate blockchain statistics
through simple REST endpoints. It covers 245+ metrics across Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, TRX,
stablecoins, ERC20 tokens, and other altcoins — including exchange flows, MVRV, SOPR,
funding rates, and miner activity. See the [Metric Catalog](/catalog/overview) for the full
list.

### How do I get an API key?

API access is available on [CryptoQuant pricing plans](https://cryptoquant.com/pricing).
Once you subscribe, your access token appears in your
[account settings](https://cryptoquant.com/settings/api). See the
[Quickstart](/guides/quickstart) to make your first call.

### What are the base URLs?

The stable v1 API is at `https://api.cryptoquant.com/v1/` and the beta v2 API is at
`https://api.cryptoquant.com/v2/`.

## Authentication

### How do I authenticate API requests?

Send your access token in the `Authorization` header as `Bearer {access_token}`, or pass it
as an `api_key` query parameter. The header method is recommended because URLs are often
logged by proxies and can leak keys. See [Authentication](/guides/authentication).

### Why am I getting a 401 or 403 error?

A `401 unauthorized` means your credentials are missing or wrong. A `403 forbidden` means
your plan does not include access to that endpoint. See [Status & Error Codes](/guides/status-codes).

## Rate limits & errors

### What are the API rate limits?

Rate limits are set per pricing plan. If you exceed your limit you receive a
`429 too_many_requests` response — back off and retry after a short delay. Using an API key
with the [MCP server](/guides/mcp-server) gives you a dedicated rate limit instead of the
shared keyless pool. Rate limits are separate from [API credits](/guides/api-credits), which
meter how much data you consume.

### How are API credits consumed?

Every call deducts credits from your monthly plan grant, and the amount depends on how many data
rows the response returns and which data you requested. Failed calls are not charged. Once plan
credits run out, top-up credits are used automatically — and on the Premium plan there is no
credit limit at all. See [API Credits](/guides/api-credits).

### What do the response status codes mean?

`200` is success, `4xx` is a client/credential error, and `5xx` is a server-side problem.
Every response also carries a `status` object with a `code` and a human-readable `message`.
The full table is in [Status & Error Codes](/guides/status-codes).

## Data & response format

### What does an API response look like?

Every response wraps data in a `status` / `result` envelope:

```json theme={null}
{
  "status": { "code": 200, "message": "success" },
  "result": {
    "window": "day",
    "data": [
      { "date": "2026-06-11", "reserve": 540321.2, "reserve_usd": 58234567890.1 }
    ]
  }
}
```

### What time intervals (windows) are available?

The `window` parameter controls aggregation: `block`, `min` (market data only), `hour`, and
`day`. Each metric supports different windows. Use `from` and `to` (format `YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS`)
to bound the range. See [Time Convention](/guides/time-convention).

### When is end-of-day data final?

End-of-day exchange, miner, and inter-entity flow data starts serving from UTC 00:00 and may
take up to an hour to finalize as blocks confirm. The safe time to query a complete day is
**UTC 01:00**. Top-10 data returns `null` until block confirmation completes.

### Which assets and metrics are supported?

Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, TRX, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, AVAX, SUI, stablecoins, and ERC20 tokens.
Coverage varies by asset — browse the [Metric Catalog](/catalog/overview) or the
machine-readable [`/catalog/catalog.json`](/catalog/catalog.json).

## AI agents & MCP

### Can AI agents use the CryptoQuant API?

Yes. CryptoQuant hosts an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server at
`https://mcp.cryptoquant.com/mcp` that lets Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients query
on-chain data in natural language. See [MCP Server](/guides/mcp-server) and the
[For AI Agents](/guides/for-ai-agents) map.

### How do I get the docs in a machine-readable format?

Append `.md` to any page URL for raw Markdown, use `/llms.txt` and `/llms-full.txt` for the
docs index and full content, and use [`/catalog/catalog.json`](/catalog/catalog.json) plus
the [OpenAPI specs](/openapi/v1.json) for endpoint definitions. Details on the
[For AI Agents](/guides/for-ai-agents) page.

### What does each metric actually mean?

See the [On-Chain Metrics Glossary](/guides/glossary) for quick definitions, or the
[Data Guide](/data-guide/exchange) for full formulas and interpretation of every metric.