CoinMarketCap is an essential website and tool for anyone exploring or investing in the cryptocurrency market. If you're new to the space, you might be wondering how to get the most out of this powerful platform. This guide will explain what CoinMarketCap is and provide a comprehensive walkthrough to help you understand all the data it presents.
What Is CoinMarketCap?
CoinMarketCap, often abbreviated as CMC, stands for CryptoCurrency Market Capitalizations. It is a leading website that tracks the price, market capitalization, and other key metrics for thousands of cryptocurrencies. The platform provides a real-time overview of the entire digital asset market.
Founded in 2013, CoinMarketCap started by tracking just seven cryptocurrencies. Today, it provides data on thousands of coins and tokens, making it one of the most reputable and widely-used data aggregators in the industry. While other similar platforms exist, CoinMarketCap remains a pioneer and a primary resource for investors worldwide.
The site is available in many languages, including Vietnamese. However, this guide will use the English interface to ensure clarity and consistency, as some translated terms can be confusing.
How to Navigate the CoinMarketCap Website
Let's break down the CoinMarketCap interface into manageable sections. As you explore, you will frequently encounter the terms "Coin" and "Token"—these refer to two distinct types of crypto assets.
1. The Header Section
The top of the homepage provides a high-level snapshot of the entire cryptocurrency market. Key metrics include:
- Cryptocurrencies: The total number of coins and tokens being tracked.
- Markets: The total number of trading pairs available across all exchanges (e.g., BTC/USD, ETH/BTC).
- Market Cap: The total market capitalization of the entire cryptocurrency market. This is the sum of the market cap of every single tracked asset.
- 24h Vol: The total trading volume across all markets in the past 24 hours.
- BTC Dominance: The percentage of the total crypto market cap that is owned by Bitcoin. A figure of 53.4% means Bitcoin accounts for more than half of the entire market's value.
- Language: A dropdown menu to select your preferred language.
- Currency: A dropdown to view prices in your chosen fiat currency (Vietnamese Dong is not currently supported).
- Theme Toggle: An icon to switch the site between light and dark mode.
2. The Main Content Area
The central part of the homepage displays a list of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Each column provides crucial information:
- Market Cap: The total value of all circulating units of a specific cryptocurrency. It is calculated as Circulating Supply multiplied by the current Price.
- Price: The current average price of the asset, aggregated from multiple exchanges.
- Volume (24h): The total trading volume for that asset across all markets in the last 24 hours.
- Circulating Supply: The number of coins or tokens that are publicly available and circulating in the market. An asterisk (*) indicates a coin that is not mineable, like Ripple (XRP).
- Change (24h): The price change, expressed as a percentage, over the last 24 hours.
- Price Graph (7d): A mini-chart showing the price movement over the past seven days.
3. The Main Navigation Menu
Next to the CoinMarketCap logo, you'll find the main menu with several key sections:
Rankings: This section provides various ranked lists.
- Market Cap – Top 100: The top 100 crypto assets by market cap.
- Market Cap – Top 100 (Coins/Tokens): Separate lists for coins and tokens.
- Exchanges – Top 100: Ranks exchanges by their reported or adjusted 24h trading volume. The adjusted volume attempts to filter out fake or inflated volume.
Trending: Discover what's moving in the market.
- Gainers and Losers: Lists the biggest percentage gainers and losers over 24 hours.
- Recently Added: Shows the newest assets added to the platform.
Tools: A suite of helpful utilities for investors.
- Global Charts: Visualizations for total market cap, Bitcoin dominance, and more.
- Historical Snapshot: Allows you to see what the market looked like on any date since 2013.
- Currency Converter: A calculator to convert between different cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies.
- Crypto Glossary: A dictionary of common cryptocurrency terms.
- Watchlist: A personalized portfolio to track your favorite assets.
- Website Widget: Code to embed live price tickers on your website.
- Services: Information about advertising and other services offered by CoinMarketCap.
4. The Filters Menu
Above the list of cryptocurrencies, you'll find a "Cryptocurrencies" filter. Clicking it allows you to customize your view:
- View: You can choose to see All Cryptocurrencies, Coins Only, or Tokens Only.
- Filters: You can show the Top 100 or the Full List of all assets.
- Market Cap Calculation: You can rank assets by market cap using either Circulating Supply (default) or Total Supply.
- Other Filters: Options like Filter Non-Mineable are available to refine your search.
👉 Explore live cryptocurrency data
How to Read a Coin or Token Page
Clicking on any cryptocurrency will take you to its dedicated page, packed with detailed information.
1. Project Links and Info
This section provides essential links to learn more about the project:
- Rank: Its current market cap ranking on CoinMarketCap.
- Website: The official project website.
- Announcement: Often a link to the original announcement thread on Bitcointalk.
- Explorer: A link to a blockchain explorer for that asset to view transactions.
- Source Code: A link to the project's GitHub repository.
- Technical Documentation: A link to the project's whitepaper.
2. Key Metrics and Supply Data
Alongside the familiar Market Cap and Volume data, you'll find crucial supply information:
- Max Supply: The maximum number of coins that will ever exist for this asset.
- Total Supply: The total number of coins that exist right now, excluding any that have been permanently removed from circulation (burned).
- Circulating Supply: The number of coins that are currently circulating in the market and held by the public. This is the figure used to calculate market cap.
3. Detailed Tabs
Several tabs at the bottom of the page offer even more depth:
- Charts: Interactive price charts with customizable time frames.
- Markets: A complete list of every exchange where the asset is traded and its available trading pairs.
- Historical Data: A table showing historical price data (open, high, low, close), volume, and market cap for each day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a coin and a token?
Coins, like Bitcoin or Litecoin, operate on their own native blockchain. Tokens, like many DeFi assets, are built on top of an existing blockchain, such as Ethereum, and represent an asset or utility within a specific project's ecosystem.
How often is the data on CoinMarketCap updated?
Data on CoinMarketCap is updated in real-time. Prices, volumes, and market caps are continuously aggregated from connected exchanges to provide the most current information possible.
Is the trading volume on CoinMarketCap accurate?
CoinMarketCap provides both "reported" volume straight from exchanges and "adjusted" volume, which is their metric that attempts to remove potentially inflated or fake volume data to present a more accurate picture. It's always wise to consult the adjusted volume for a clearer understanding of real market activity.
How do I create a Watchlist on CoinMarketCap?
Simply create a free account on CoinMarketCap. Once logged in, you can search for any cryptocurrency and click the star icon next to its name to add it to your personal watchlist. This allows you to monitor a customized portfolio.
Can I buy cryptocurrency directly on CoinMarketCap?
No, CoinMarketCap is an data aggregator and does not function as an exchange. However, it provides links to many exchanges where you can buy and sell each specific cryptocurrency. Always research any exchange before using it.
Why is Circulating Supply used for market cap instead of Total Supply?
Circulating Supply represents the coins actively available to the public for trading. Using this figure provides a more realistic measure of a cryptocurrency's value and market dynamics, as it excludes coins that are locked, reserved, or not yet in circulation. For a complete market overview and to track these metrics in real-time, you can 👉 view advanced market data tools.