> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.0xarchive.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Free Crypto Data API

> Start with a free 0xArchive key, verify one market-data request, and size the next workload from live account limits.

For an integration fit check, start with a free 0xArchive key and verify one real market-data request before widening the workload.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account">
    Open the [dashboard](https://0xarchive.io/dashboard?utm_source=docs\&utm_medium=referral\&utm_campaign=docs_referral\&utm_content=free_crypto_data_api_create_key) and create an API key.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the quickstart request">
    Use [Quickstart](/quickstart) to call a Hyperliquid BTC order-book route.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the route family">
    Use [Venue coverage](/venue-coverage) before moving beyond the first request.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Watch limits">
    Use [Rate limits](/rate-limits) before a script widens to more symbols or history.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Make the first authenticated request.
  </Card>

  <Card title="REST API" icon="square-terminal" href="/rest-api">
    Browse route families and examples.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What To Test First

Use a free key to confirm the integration path, not to design an unlimited production job. Start with one current order-book request, confirm the response envelope, and preserve `meta.request_id`. Then choose whether the real task needs history, streaming, SDKs, CLI, MCP Server, Skill, or OpenAPI code generation.

## Free-Key Test Checklist

Keep the first test small and explicit.

| Field | Starter value |
| - | - |
| Route family | Hyperliquid core |
| Request | `/v1/hyperliquid/orderbook/BTC` |
| Auth | `X-API-Key` from `OXARCHIVE_API_KEY` |
| Response fields | `success`, `data.symbol`, `data.bids`, `data.asks`, `meta.request_id` |
| Next check | [Venue coverage](/venue-coverage), then [Rate limits](/rate-limits) and [Data quality](/data-quality) |

After the starter request works, repeat the same checklist for the actual family you need: Spot pair, HIP-3 symbol, HIP-4 outcome side, or Lighter market.

## Upgrade Signals

Evaluate a paid plan when the workload needs more credits, request rate, concurrency, standard replay speed, or export capacity than the current account provides. Plans govern capacity and request windows. Availability is specific to the route, family, symbol, and schema; inspect the selected operation and coverage before relying on it.

## Do Not Use The Starter Path For

Do not use a starter key as the design point for long-running production systems, broad historical backfills, high-concurrency crawlers, replay-heavy workflows, L3/L4 reconstruction, or customer-facing exports. Those jobs should start with route coverage, rate and credit limits, data-quality gates, and commercial fit.

## Scope Boundary

The documented market-data scope is Hyperliquid and Lighter: Hyperliquid core, Hyperliquid Spot, HIP-3, HIP-4, and Lighter. Keep generic RPC infrastructure, onchain wallet indexing, broad CEX catalogs, and execution APIs as separate systems.

## Next Step

Confirm the required venue family, symbol format, and data family. Then use [Venue coverage](/venue-coverage), [Rate limits](/rate-limits), and [Data quality](/data-quality) before widening the job.


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