Messari — Leading Crypto Data Platform

Answer crypto questions using the Messari API: 34,000+ assets, 210+ exchanges, 14 data services covering market metrics, social sentiment, research, on-chain analytics, fundraising, governance, and more.

Base URL for all endpoints: https://api.messari.io

Step 1: Confirm Authentication

Follow this decision tree before every session. Do not skip to Step 2 until auth is confirmed.

1. Is `payments-mcp` available as a tool?
   ├── YES → Run `payments-mcp:get_wallet_balance`
   │          ├── Success → x402 is ready. Proceed to Step 2.
   │          └── Error   → Run `payments-mcp:show_wallet_app`, then prompt user (see Setup below)
   └── NO  → Is $MESSARI_API_KEY set or has the user provided an API key?
              ├── YES → API key mode. Include `x-messari-api-key: <key>` on all requests. Proceed to Step 2.
              └── NO  → Neither auth is configured. Prompt user (see Setup below).

x402 Setup (Recommended — wallet-based, no API key needed)

If x402 is not yet configured, tell the user:

To use Messari, you'll need to set up a payment wallet first. Here's how:

1. Run this command to install the payments connector (replace claude with your client if different):

   npx @coinbase/payments-mcp --client claude --auto-config
   

   Supported clients: claude | claude-code | codex | gemini

2. Restart your AI client to load the connector.

3. Come back and I'll open the wallet app for you to sign in.

Once signed in, deposit some Base USDC to cover API requests (costs are fractions of a cent per call).

After the user has installed and restarted, run payments-mcp:show_wallet_app to open the wallet and prompt them to sign in and deposit USDC.

API Key (Alternative)

If the user has a Messari API key, include this header on every request:

x-messari-api-key: <MESSARI_API_KEY>

Note: some endpoints are only available via API key (marked api_key only below).

Step 2: Route to the Right Service

When in doubt, start with the AI service — it synthesizes across all sources and handles open-ended questions well.

Example query routing

"Tell me about x402 and how it works."              → AI       /ai/v2/chat/completions
"What are upcoming token unlocks this month?"       → Unlocks  /token-unlocks/v1/assets
"10 most recent AI/compute fundraising rounds"      → Funding  /funding/v1/rounds
"Latest crypto regulation headlines"                → News     /news/v1/news/feed
"Recent DePIN sector developments"                  → Research /research/v1/reports
"Most active seed investor over last year"          → Funding  /funding/v1/rounds/investors
"Top AAVE events last quarter"                      → Intel    /intel/v1/events
"Solana ecosystem map"                              → Networks /metrics/v2/networks
"Recent a16z crypto investments"                    → Funding  /funding/v1/projects
"Compare BitTensor vs Render native assets"         → Metrics  /metrics/v2/assets/details

Step 3: Read detailed endpoint documentation and call the endpoint

After deciding which service to use, read the detailed endpoint documentation from url in the "spec" column below before calling the endpoint.

Many endpoints require an assetID, for these you should first call the unauthenticated lsit assets endpoint /metrics/v2/assets?limit=200 with curl to get the assetID.

AI Service

Chat completions trained on 30TB+ of structured crypto data. Handles synthesis, comparisons, and open-ended research. x402 access does not require pre-purchased credits.

Body: { "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "..."}], "stream": false }

Metrics Service

Price, volume, market cap, fundamentals for 34,000+ assets. Use for quantitative questions, performance comparisons, ROI, ATH, and historical timeseries. The NO AUTH REQUIRED endpoints are not authenticated so access them with curl

Key params: slugs, assetIds, metrics, start, end, interval, limit, page

Signal Service

Real-time social intelligence: sentiment scoring, mindshare tracking, trending.

Key params: assetIds, sort, sortDirection, limit, page, start, end

News Service

Key params: assetSlugs, sourceIds, limit, page

Research Service (api_key only)

Institutional reports, sector deep dives, protocol diligence.

Key params: tags, assetSlugs, limit, page

Stablecoins Service

Key params: metrics, chains, start, end, interval, limit, page

Exchanges Service (api_key only)

Key params: type, granularity, start, end, limit, page

Networks Service

L1/L2 on-chain activity — fees, active addresses, usage metrics.

Key params: networkSlugs, metrics, start, end, interval, limit, page

Protocols Service (api_key only)

DeFi protocols: TVL, DEX, lending, liquid staking, bridges.

Key params: sort, order, limit, page, granularity, start, end

Token Unlocks Service

Before calling the endpoint, you should first curl the /token-unlocks/v1/assets?limit=100 endpoint to get the assetID to filter by. This endpoint is not authenticated so access it with curl

Key params: assetIDs, start, end, limit, page

Fundraising Service

Key params: assetSlugs, investorSlugs, roundTypes (seed, series-a, …), start, end, limit, page

Intel Service (api_key only)

Governance events, protocol upgrades, project milestones.

Key params: assetSlugs, eventTypes, start, end, limit, page

Topics Service (api_key only)

Key params: classes, assetIDs, start, end, granularity, sort, limit, page

X-Users Service

Crypto X/Twitter influencer metrics and rankings.

Key params: sort, sortDirection, accountType, limit, page, start, end