Cointop is a free, open-source cryptocurrency tracker that runs in a terminal window. It is aimed at developers, command-line users and anyone who prefers keyboard-driven tools to heavy graphical dashboards. You can watch coin prices, follow your holdings and set alerts without leaving the console.
The program is written in Go and released under the Apache-2.0 license. Its interface borrows heavily from Vim, so people who already navigate editors with the keyboard will feel at home quickly. Mouse support is also included for those who want it, and custom key bindings and color schemes let you shape the layout to your taste.
What Is Cointop and Who Is It For?
Cointop is a terminal application for following cryptocurrency markets. It sits between a web dashboard and a bare API call: you get a live table of coins, portfolio figures and charts, all rendered as text inside your console.
The tool suits developers who already spend much of their day in a shell, system administrators who keep a terminal open on a server, and privacy-minded users who prefer local software. It is also a reasonable choice for people who find browser-based trackers slow or cluttered.
It is less suited to users who want polished graphical charts, tax reports or mobile access. Those needs are better met by other categories of software.
How Cointop Gets Its Market Data
Cointop does not generate prices itself. It requests market data from external APIs, most notably CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap, and displays the results in the terminal. Because of this, the accuracy and update speed of the figures depend partly on the upstream provider.
The offline cache stores recent responses on your machine. When the network is unavailable, the interface shows the most recent cached values rather than an empty screen. Once the connection returns, fresh data replaces the cached copy.
If you use a free API tier, you may run into request limits when auto-refresh is set to a short interval. Increasing the refresh interval is a simple way to reduce the number of calls.
Practical Use Cases for a Terminal Price Tracker
A common scenario is a developer who keeps Cointop in a tmux pane next to an editor. Glancing at the pane shows the current prices of a few watched coins without switching windows or opening a browser tab.
Another scenario involves a small personal portfolio. The holdings view makes it possible to check profit and loss after a market move, and price alerts can flag a threshold being crossed while you work on something else.
System administrators running a headless server over SSH can also use the tool remotely. Because the interface is text-based, it works well over slow connections where graphical applications would lag.
Terminal Interfaces and Why They Persist
Text-based interfaces have a long history in computing because they are fast, predictable and lightweight. A terminal application uses little memory, starts quickly and can be controlled entirely from the keyboard, which many experienced users find more efficient than pointing and clicking.
Cointop uses a terminal user interface, sometimes called a TUI, which draws tables, menus and charts with characters and colors. Modern terminals that support 24-bit color can display smooth gradients and detailed charts within this text-only environment.
The trade-off is a learning curve. Users unfamiliar with Vim-style keys need some time to memorize the shortcuts, but the documentation and customizable bindings make the process manageable.
Key features
Vim-Style Shortcuts
Custom Color Schemes
Favorites List
Portfolio Tracking
Price Charts
Fuzzy Search
Currency Conversion
Price Alerts
Multiple Data Sources
Offline Cache
Fast Navigation
Supported coins
Cointop tracks cryptocurrencies through the market data APIs it connects to, including CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap. Coverage therefore follows what those providers list, and the exact set of coins can change as the upstream sources update. Check the documentation for details on configuring and switching data sources.
How to install Cointop on Windows
PS> scoop install cointop- 1
Install Scoop
Scoop is a command-line package manager for Windows. If you do not already have it, open PowerShell and follow the official installation instructions at scoop.sh. Scoop installs packages into your user directory, so administrator rights are usually not required.
- 2
Install Cointop
In the same PowerShell window, run the command scoop install cointop. Scoop downloads the package, verifies it against the manifest and places the executable in its shims folder so you can start it from any terminal.
- 3
Verify the Installation
Type cointop --version or simply cointop to launch the application. If the command is not recognized, close and reopen the terminal so the updated path takes effect.
-
Update Later
To keep the program current, run scoop update cointop. Check the official website or the GitHub Releases page for the latest version number if you want to confirm what is available.
System requirements
- Windows with PowerShell available, needed to run the Scoop installer
- Scoop package manager installed
- An internet connection for fetching live market data
- A terminal with color support; a terminal that supports 256 colors or 24-bit color gives the best display
How to use Cointop
Cointop is controlled almost entirely from the keyboard. Once you launch it, the main screen shows a table of coins, and most actions are one or two key presses away. Learning a handful of shortcuts is enough to get started.
A typical first session looks like this:
- Launch Cointop from your terminal and wait for the first data load to finish.
- Use the arrow keys or Vim-style j and k keys to move through the coin list.
- Press the search key and type part of a coin name; fuzzy matching will narrow the list.
- Add a coin to your favorites so it stays easy to find.
- Open the portfolio view and enter your holdings to see profit and loss.
- Select a coin and open its chart, then change the date range to view a different period.
- Create a price alert for a coin and keep the program running so the desktop notification can fire.
- Adjust the color scheme or key bindings in the configuration file if you want a different layout.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license
- Keyboard-driven interface that is fast once the shortcuts are learned
- Portfolio tracking with profit and loss in the terminal
- Price alerts with desktop notifications
- Support for more than one market data API
- Offline cache keeps recent prices visible when the connection drops
- Customizable colors and key bindings
- Lightweight and suitable for SSH sessions
- Requires comfort with the command line and terminal interfaces
- Market data depends on third-party APIs and their rate limits
- No graphical dashboard or mobile version
- Vim-style shortcuts take time to memorize for newcomers
- Official documentation has moved to a new domain, so older links may be outdated
Is Cointop safe?
Cointop is open source, which means its code can be reviewed publicly on GitHub. Download the program only from the official website, cointop.sh, or from the GitHub Releases page, or install it through Scoop, which uses a maintained manifest. Avoid copies offered on unofficial download portals.
Before running any downloaded executable, verify its SHA-256 checksum against the value published on the release page, or check the signature where one is provided. Keep your antivirus software active; a flagged file should be investigated rather than ignored.
Cointop only reads market data and does not ask for private keys or seed phrases. Never enter such information into any terminal program or website claiming to be part of Cointop.
The last code update was in April 2024, and the documentation has moved to docs.cointop.sh. Check the project page for its current maintenance status before relying on it for important work.
- Official source only. Download from cointop.sh. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Cointop focuses on live prices, portfolio figures and alerts inside a terminal. Among the similar programs in this catalog, Ticker also offers a terminal interface for stocks and crypto, so the two are close in spirit. The choice between them often comes down to which asset classes you follow and which data sources you prefer.
Raccoin, Hledger and Rotki take a different approach. They are oriented toward accounting, tax calculation and bookkeeping rather than live market monitoring. If your goal is to report gains for tax purposes, one of those tools will fit better. Cointop is better for watching the market as it moves.
For price-specific monitoring, Cardano Monitor is a narrower tool that sends notifications for a single network's token. Cointop covers many coins at once, but it is less focused on one ecosystem.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Latest version
- 1.4.6
- Last update
- 7 Apr 2024
- Windows support
- Yes (available via Scoop)
- Official site
- cointop.sh
- Source code
- github.com/miguelmota/cointop
- Install command
- scoop install cointop
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Cointop is free and released as open-source software under the Apache-2.0 license. You do not need to pay to install it or to use its core features such as the coin list, favorites, charts and portfolio view. Check the official website for any notes about the APIs you connect to, since those services have their own terms.
The simplest method is to install Scoop and then run scoop install cointop in PowerShell. Scoop handles the download and places the program on your path. You can also obtain the release files from the official website or GitHub Releases page, but Scoop is generally the easier route on Windows.
Partly. Cointop includes an offline cache that stores recent market data, so the last known prices remain visible when the connection drops. You will not receive new prices until the network returns, and features that depend on live API calls will not update in the meantime.
Yes, you can set price alerts for coins and receive desktop notifications when a price crosses your threshold. The program needs to be running for alerts to trigger, so keep the window open or running in a background pane.
Cointop supports several market data APIs, including CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap. You can choose the source that suits your needs. Free API tiers may impose request limits, so a longer refresh interval can help avoid throttling.
It is open source, so its code is publicly available for review. Download it only from the official website, the GitHub Releases page, or through Scoop. Verify the SHA-256 checksum where it is published, and never enter a seed phrase or private key into any crypto tracker.
Yes. You can change the color scheme, including support for 256-color and 24-bit displays, and customize the key bindings. These options are set in the configuration file, which lets you adapt the layout to your terminal and preferred shortcuts.
It depends on how you work. Cointop is faster, lighter and keyboard-driven, which suits people who spend time in a terminal. Web trackers offer richer graphics, more social features and mobile apps, so they may be preferable for casual browsing or visual analysis.
Verdict
Cointop is a solid choice for people who want a fast, keyboard-driven view of crypto prices and a simple portfolio inside a terminal. It is free, open source and lightweight, and its alerts and offline cache add practical value. It is less suitable for users who need graphical dashboards or tax reporting. Consider the project's maintenance status and check the official website before relying on it for important decisions.