4 Free Crypto APIs for Students and Developers

1. DropsTab API (Builders Program)

What it offers

• Market and historical data: prices, volumes, market cap, circulating supply, social activity (X/Twitter), and much more.
• Financial analytics: venture investments, investor lists and funding rounds, ROI for private and public investors.
• Vesting and unlock data: token unlock charts, schedules, progress, and unlock percentages.
• Project activities: ICO/IEO, airdrops, testnets, staking programs, and ambassador campaigns.
• On-chain data: wallet and transaction tracking across 17 EVM networks plus Solana, Sui, TON, TRON, and others.

How to get access

• Educational project participants, hackathons, and open-source initiatives are invited to join the Builders Program.
• You’ll need to fill out an application form describing your project and the participation format (student, hackathon, open-source).
• Upon approval — free access for 3 months (or lifetime by agreement), priority tech support, and the opportunity to publish your work in the DropsTab community.

DropsTab API (Builders Program): https://dropstab.com/products/commercial-api

2. Dune Analytics

Data and features

• On-chain SQL analytics: any events and contract logs aggregated into tables.
• Prebuilt dashboards: hundreds of public templates for DeFi metrics, NFT markets, network health.
• Live updates: data refreshes within minutes after a block.

Who it's for

• Instructors and students running blockchain analytics courses.
• Researchers and analysts who need seamless access to on-chain data via familiar SQL.
• Teams building custom reports and embedded metrics for trading terminals.

How to connect

• Create an account at Dune.
• Use the free plan or fill out a form to get a 50% discount on any paid plans.
• Obtain a Pro account for the entire duration of your studies: unlimited queries and private dashboards.

Dune Analytics: https://dune.com/product/api

3. The Graph

What it offers

• On-chain indexing via Subgraphs: instant SQL-like access to smart contract events, user-defined data schemas, DeFi indicators, NFT metrics.
• Unlimited RPC access to The Graph gateways for reading indexes.

How to get access

• The Grants Program targets student and open-source projects that create public Subgraph solutions.
• You’ll need to fill out a form on the Grants Portal, providing a description of your subgraph and its value to the community.
• Support may include funding of several thousand dollars and dedicated quotas on select indexers.

The Graph: https://thegraph.com/subgraphs/

4. Alchemy (Alchemy for Startups)

What it offers

• RPC and enhanced APIs for Ethereum, all popular L2s, and EVM-compatible networks: historical data, balance queries, contract events, Webhooks, NFT API, Trace/Debug.
• NFT & Token API: metadata, ownership verification, trading statistics, pricing.

How to get access

• Go to Alchemy for Startup
• Fill out the form
• Qualified startups receive access to a range of benefits, including credits, priority support, co-marketing, educational resources, exclusive events, and more.

Alchemy (Alchemy for Startups): https://www.alchemy.com/startup-program

Summary

Each of these programs gives student and research teams the opportunity to quickly integrate advanced crypto data at no cost. Choose what suits your needs: for in-depth venture analysis and vesting — DropsTab; for general on-chain tasks — Dune or The Graph; for working with tokens and NFTs — Alchemy.

Pro tip: Apply to several programs at once to combine data sources and cover any research needs. Good luck with your projects!