# Get Latest Crypto Prices with the CoinMarketCap API

Use this workflow when you already know the assets you care about and want their latest market data. If you want a ranked market list instead, use [Get top coins by market cap](/guides/get-top-coins-by-market-cap).

## Best starting endpoint

Start with `GET /v3/cryptocurrency/quotes/latest`.

Use it when you already know the asset `id`, `slug`, or `symbol`. For production workflows, `id` is the safest choice.

## Minimal example

This example fetches the latest USD quotes for Bitcoin and Ethereum by CoinMarketCap ID.

```bash
curl -G 'https://pro-api.coinmarketcap.com/v3/cryptocurrency/quotes/latest' \
  --data-urlencode 'id=1,1027' \
  --data-urlencode 'convert=USD' \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -H 'X-CMC_PRO_API_KEY: YOUR_API_KEY'
```

## What you get back

- `data`: an array of asset records keyed by `id`
- `quote.USD.price`: the latest price
- `quote.USD.market_cap`: the latest market cap
- `quote.USD.volume_24h`: 24h volume
- `quote.USD.percent_change_*`: recent performance windows

Truncated response for `id=1,1027` (Bitcoin and Ethereum):

```json
{
  "status": {
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
    "error_code": 0,
    "error_message": null,
    "elapsed": 8,
    "credit_count": 1
  },
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Bitcoin",
      "symbol": "BTC",
      "slug": "bitcoin",
      "cmc_rank": 1,
      "circulating_supply": 19800000,
      "max_supply": 21000000,
      "last_updated": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
      "quote": {
        "USD": {
          "price": 99150.42,
          "volume_24h": 32500000000,
          "percent_change_1h": 0.15,
          "percent_change_24h": 2.34,
          "percent_change_7d": -1.05,
          "market_cap": 1963178316000,
          "last_updated": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": 1027,
      "name": "Ethereum",
      "symbol": "ETH",
      "slug": "ethereum",
      "cmc_rank": 2,
      "circulating_supply": 120500000,
      "max_supply": null,
      "last_updated": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
      "quote": {
        "USD": {
          "price": 3280.15,
          "volume_24h": 18200000000,
          "percent_change_1h": -0.08,
          "percent_change_24h": 1.62,
          "percent_change_7d": 3.14,
          "market_cap": 395258075000,
          "last_updated": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

## Use this when

- You are building a watchlist or portfolio view
- You need the latest price for a known set of assets
- You want to compare a few assets side by side

## Common mistakes

- Using `listings/latest` when you already know the exact assets you need
- Using `symbol` in production when you should use stable CoinMarketCap `id`
- Calling the API directly from the browser instead of your backend

## Good next steps

- Use [/v1/cryptocurrency/map](/pro-api-reference/cryptocurrency) if you need to look up stable IDs first
- Use [/v2/cryptocurrency/info](/pro-api-reference/cryptocurrency) if you also need metadata such as logos and links
- Use [Get top coins by market cap](/guides/get-top-coins-by-market-cap) if you need a ranked market list instead of known assets
- Use [API response format, IDs, and timestamps](/guides/standards-and-conventions) if you want to understand IDs and response structure