Why not use Excel?
I have scanned several tutorials now on how to get currency data into Excel. The only problem here is that I have a Macbook. Most tutorials show how to do it with Windows, and there is a big difference.
The "Get data from Web" tab that Excel offers on Windows isn't available on macOS. There is another way, but since it's too complicated, I decided to switch to Google Sheets. I found two easy solutions to get my real-time and historical forex and cryptocurrency data into Google Sheets.
Here is a step-by-step of the two methods.
Method 1: GOOGLEFINANCE
This one is extremely straightforward. However, it doesn't offer actual real-time data as far as I can tell.
All you need is the formula and the cryptocurrency symbols.
The symbols are the three or four-digit codes for the respective cryptocurrency. For example:
| Name | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin | BTC |
| Ethereum | ETH |
| Tether | USDT |
| Cardano | ADA |
| Dogecoin | DOGE |
Once you got the symbols, all you need to do now is enter the following formula:
=GOOGLEFINANCE("<base currency><target currency>")
The <base currency> hereby is your local or preferred currency. I will use US Dollar in my example. You will need the symbols for this currency as well. So, we use USD. I want to convert it into Ethereum; therefore, my formula looks as follows:
=GOOGLEFINANCE("USDETH")
And that's it! How you will have your conversion rate in Google Sheets.
Method 2: Using an API
If you want to work with bigger data sets or are looking for more accurate and real-time data, you should consider working with an API. There are some currency APIs that also offer cryptocurrency exchange rates.
Here is a step-by-step on how to get the data into GSheets.
Step 1: Get an API Key
Go to the forex and cryptocurrency API of your choice. Most APIs offer a free trial. Check out top APIs here. After creating an account, you will have an API key on your dashboard.
Step 2: Install an Add-on
To use the API key in Google Sheets, you need to install a free connector. Go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons, search for "API Connector," and install.
Step 3: Create a request
Next, you open the connector to create a request. You can find it in the Extensions tab. Then, click on "Add new request," and enter your API key in the API URL field. Hit Save and Run.
And there you have it, your cryptocurrency rates!
Quick and easy cryptocurrency data
These two are not the only methods to get cryptocurrency data into GSheets. However, I found they are the low-effort while still being accurate.
If you were also struggling with getting data into Excel, I hope this article on Google Sheets helps.
Let me know what you think. Did you find an even easier way?