Guide
How to read crypto market data
A dashboard compresses a large market into a few numbers. Those numbers are useful only when you understand what they measure, when they were captured, and what they leave out. This guide explains the fields on PyCrypto without turning them into investment advice.
Price is a reference, not a promise
The displayed GBP price is a recent market reference assembled from a data provider. It can differ from the price available on a particular exchange because markets move, venues have different order books, and a GBP conversion can introduce another changing rate. Always check the timestamp and venue before relying on a quote for a transaction.
Market cap compares scale
Market capitalisation multiplies the current price by circulating supply. It is a convenient way to compare assets of different unit prices, but it is not cash held in a bank and it does not show how much could be sold without moving the market. Supply estimates can also change as provider methodology changes.
Volume needs context
Reported volume estimates how much was traded during a period, usually 24 hours. Higher volume can suggest more activity, but volume quality varies by venue and does not explain whether buyers or sellers will dominate next. Compare the same provider and timeframe consistently rather than mixing incompatible figures.
Liquidity and spread affect execution
Liquidity describes how readily an asset can be traded near the displayed price. The spread is the gap between the best available buy and sell prices. A thin order book or a large order can produce slippage, meaning the average execution price is worse than the first quote shown. Market cap alone does not protect against this.
Timeframes answer different questions
A one-hour move shows very recent momentum; 24-hour and seven-day changes add context. None predicts what comes next. A large percentage move can also look dramatic when an asset began from a small base. Use consistent start and end times and look for the absolute price change as well as the percentage.
Fallback and stale data
Live providers can be delayed or unavailable. PyCrypto labels its data source and may show a fallback snapshot so the interface remains understandable. Treat fallback or old timestamps as an instruction to verify the figures elsewhere, not as a live market signal.
A five-point reading routine
- Confirm the quote currency and the time the data was refreshed.
- Compare price change over more than one timeframe.
- Read volume alongside market cap instead of treating either number alone as demand.
- Check liquidity and spreads on the venue you would actually use.
- Separate a useful market observation from a prediction or recommendation.