How to check data quality in a crypto dashboard
Check the date, coverage and origin of each crypto dashboard metric, then compare its prices and volumes with a second independent tracker page.
Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief
Updated Oct 6, 20263 min readFact-checked
On this page
- Real-time updates do not make numbers accurate.
- Market cap differs when supply counts differ.
- Save the asset, values and time when numbers disagree.
Checking a crypto dashboard takes an internet connection and a few minutes. The checks work on any dashboard showing prices, volume or total value locked.
What do you need before checking?
Before you trust a metric, find out where the numbers come from and when they were last updated. Look for a note or an info icon beside each figure.
How to check the numbers
Each check tells you whether a figure is current, complete and built the way you expect. A number that fails one is not reliable enough to use.
- 1Compare with a second pageOpen the same asset and pair on another price page and compare the price and volume.
- 2Confirm the coverageFind the exchanges, pairs and blockchains it covers. A long list may still leave out a major venue.
- 3Watch during busy marketsWatch the page when prices move sharply or an exchange reports problems. Frozen or blank fields signal stale data.
- 4Read the methodologyOpen the note on market cap, volume and total value locked. See how supply is counted.
What should you do after finding issues?
When two figures disagree, copy the details before the dashboard refreshes: the asset, the pair, the values and the time.
Frequently asked questions
Very high volume with thin order books is the usual sign. One venue far ahead of the same pair elsewhere points to inflated volume.
A large exchange's public market page or another price tracker works. Use one that lists the same pair.
Many refresh within seconds, but a dashboard can also cache older numbers or lag in busy markets.
Recheck before you rely on a figure, and again during sharp price moves or exchange outages.
