An independent, bootstrapped crypto data aggregator with a published, reproducible Trust Score; rankings are free and algorithmic, but they measure liquidity, volume and popularity rather than independently testing the projects, and project-paid ads share the page with the data.
What it's really for A crypto data aggregator; rankings come from market data, with ads and fast-track listings around them.
What our grade covers The grade on this page is about its crypto rankings and exchange 'Trust Score', not everything the site does.
High Scoring Confidence Checked against primary sources. We are confident in the facts and the grade here.
Crypto projects and exchanges pay the most via advertising and affiliate referrals; by CoinGecko's own disclosure, listings are free and donations or ads do not buy a listing or a ranking, though paid ads do appear alongside the rankings.
Source →- Operating since
- 2014 (12 years) · source
- What it costs you
- Free to read The reviews are free to read.
- How they make money
- Makes money from paid API subscriptions, on-platform advertising bought by crypto projects/exchanges, and affiliate/referral commissions, plus premium subscriptions.
- What they do
- Aggregates and ranks thousands of cryptocurrencies and exchanges by price, market cap, trading volume and a weekly-recalculated Trust Score that scores liquidity, scale, security and proof of reserves.
- What to watch for
- Its rankings are driven by market data and liquidity/popularity metrics, not hands-on evaluation of a project's quality or legitimacy, so a high market-cap rank or green Trust Score is not an endorsement that a coin is safe or sound.
- Composite score
- 3.80 / 5.00 → grade B+
How the grade was reached
Does the site take money from the very entities it ranks? Pay-for-placement, vendor-funded data, and affiliate commissions all pull this down. The less the ranking can be bought, the higher the score.
What is the ranking actually built on? Hands-on testing scores highest, then verified first-hand reviews, then opinion or popularity surveys and self-reported figures, then pay-to-rank, which scores lowest.
Is the methodology published, specific, and reproducible? Can a reader see how a given rank was reached, or is it a black box?
Are commercial relationships, sponsorships, and affiliate arrangements disclosed clearly and near the rankings themselves, rather than buried?
How hard is it to game? Controls against fake reviews, solicited reviews, and vendor gaming raise this; an open box anyone can stuff lowers it.
Evidence
- CoinGecko states that getting a token or exchange listed is free and that no representative will ever ask for listing fees, and that donations do not guarantee or expedite a listing, indicating rankings/listings are not sold. Source: CoinGecko Methodology page →
- The Trust Score is a publicly documented, weekly-recalculated rating that weights liquidity (4/10), cybersecurity (2/10), scale, past incidents, proof of assets, team presence and API coverage, and includes price-outlier and order-book anti-fake-volume controls. Source: CoinGecko Trust Score Methodology (Support) →
- CoinGecko is a bootstrapped, independent company founded in April 2014 by TM Lee and Bobby Ong that grew without venture capital; revenue comes from API services, advertising and affiliate/referral commissions rather than from those it ranks paying for placement. Source: Business Model Analyst / CryptoSlate →