View Cryptocurrency Prices from the Command Line

Monitoring cryptocurrency prices in real time is essential for investors, developers, and tech enthusiasts who want to stay ahead in the fast-moving digital asset market. While most users rely on web dashboards or mobile apps, there's a powerful alternative for those who live in the terminal: Coinmon. This lightweight command-line tool allows you to fetch up-to-date cryptocurrency prices directly from your shell, making it ideal for automation, scripting, and quick checks without leaving your workflow.

Built on Node.js, Coinmon pulls data from the CoinMarketCap API and displays key metrics such as price, market cap, and 24-hour change—all within a clean, color-coded terminal interface. Unlike broader tools like Cli-Fyi, Coinmon focuses exclusively on cryptocurrency pricing, offering simplicity and speed.

This guide walks you through installing Coinmon, using its core features, and integrating it into your daily routine—perfect for crypto investors, software engineers, and Linux users who value efficiency.

Why Use a Command-Line Tool for Cryptocurrency Tracking?

The command line isn’t just for system administration anymore. For developers and power users, it’s a central hub for productivity. By checking crypto prices via the terminal, you can:

• Avoid switching between browser tabs.
• Integrate price checks into scripts or monitoring tools.
• Use it on remote servers or headless machines.
• Maintain privacy—no cookies, trackers, or sign-ups.

Coinmon enhances this experience with real-time data and customizable output—all without bloating your system.

Install Coinmon on Your System

Before installing Coinmon, ensure that Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) are installed on your machine. These are required to run and install JavaScript-based tools like Coinmon.

👉 Get started with powerful crypto tools directly from your terminal.

To check if Node.js and npm are already installed, run:

node -v
npm -v

If they’re not installed, download Node.js from the official website (we recommend the LTS version) and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Once Node.js and npm are ready, install Coinmon globally using:

sudo npm install -g coinmon

After installation, verify it works by checking the version:

coinmon -V

You should see the current version number printed—this confirms successful setup.

Check Top Cryptocurrencies by Market Cap

By default, running coinmon without arguments displays the top 10 cryptocurrencies ranked by market capitalization.

coinmon

This command returns a neatly formatted table showing:

• Rank
• Symbol (e.g., BTC, ETH)
• Price in USD
• 24-hour change (color-coded: green for up, red for down)
• Market cap

Want to see more than 10? Use the -t flag to specify how many coins you'd like to view:

coinmon -t 20

This shows the top 20 cryptocurrencies. You can adjust the number based on your needs—great for tracking emerging altcoins.

Convert Prices to Your Local Currency

While USD is the default fiat currency, Coinmon supports conversion into over 30 global currencies. Use the -c flag followed by the currency code.

For example, to view prices in Indian Rupees (INR):

coinmon -c inr

Other supported currencies include:

• EUR (Euro)
• GBP (British Pound)
• JPY (Japanese Yen)
• CAD (Canadian Dollar)
• AUD (Australian Dollar)
• CNY (Chinese Yuan)
• And many more—including BRL, ZAR, SGD, and THB.

This feature is especially useful for international investors who want to assess value in their local financial context.

Search for Specific Cryptocurrencies

Instead of scrolling through a long list, use the -f flag to look up a specific coin by symbol.

For instance, to check Bitcoin’s price only:

coinmon -f btc

You can also query multiple coins at once by separating symbols with commas:

coinmon -f eth,doge,ada

This instantly retrieves data for Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Cardano—perfect for portfolio tracking or quick comparisons.

A full list of supported cryptocurrency symbols can be found on Wikipedia or through CoinMarketCap’s official listings.

Customize Output with Additional Options

Coinmon includes several flags to fine-tune your experience:

Example: To display the top 15 coins in Euros with human-readable market caps:

coinmon -t 15 -c eur -H true

These options make Coinmon flexible enough for both casual users and advanced workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Coinmon free to use?
A: Yes, Coinmon is an open-source tool distributed under the MIT license. There are no subscription fees or hidden costs.

Q: Where does Coinmon get its data?
A: It pulls real-time cryptocurrency data from the CoinMarketCap public API, ensuring accurate and widely trusted pricing information.

Q: Can I use Coinmon on Windows?
A: Yes! As long as you have Node.js installed, Coinmon works on Windows (via Command Prompt, PowerShell, or WSL), macOS, and Linux.

Q: Does Coinmon support real-time updates or auto-refresh?
A: Not natively. However, you can simulate auto-refresh using shell commands like watch. For example:

watch -n 30 coinmon -t 10

This refreshes the top 10 coins every 30 seconds.

Q: What happens if the API is down?
A: If CoinMarketCap’s API is unreachable, Coinmon will display an error message. Retry after a few minutes or check your internet connection.

Q: Can I install Coinmon without sudo?
A: Yes. If you prefer not to use sudo, configure npm to use a local prefix directory. This avoids permission issues while installing global packages.

Integrate Coinmon into Daily Workflows

👉 Discover how developers are automating crypto insights using command-line tools.

Because Coinmon runs in the terminal, it’s easy to incorporate into scripts. For example:

• Create a daily cron job that logs Bitcoin’s price.
• Build a custom dashboard using shell scripts and coinmon output.
• Combine it with notifications using tools like notify-send (Linux) or osascript (macOS).

Example script to log Ethereum price daily:

#!/bin/bash
echo "$(date): $(coinmon -f eth)" >> ~/eth_price.log

Over time, this builds a simple but effective historical dataset.

Final Thoughts

Coinmon proves that simplicity and utility go hand in hand. It doesn’t try to do everything—just one thing well: delivering fast, accurate cryptocurrency pricing right where developers and sysadmins spend their time—the command line.

Whether you're managing a portfolio, building blockchain applications, or just curious about market movements, Coinmon streamlines access to vital data.

👉 Explore next-generation crypto platforms with seamless API integration.

For crypto investors, engineers, and tech-savvy users, combining tools like Coinmon with powerful exchanges such as OKX unlocks new levels of control and insight in the digital economy.

Core Keywords:

• cryptocurrency prices
• command line tool
• Coinmon
• crypto investor
• terminal crypto tracker
• Node.js crypto tool
• real-time crypto data
• Linux crypto monitoring