How to get real-time crypto prices in Excel
Excel looks like the obvious place to track crypto — until you notice the prices never move on their own. Here's why Excel's built-in crypto data is delayed and manual, the ways to pull live prices anyway, and the simplest no-formula alternative.
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September 3, 2026 · 6 min read
1. Excel's built-in crypto data — limited and never live
Microsoft 365 has linked data types (Stocks / Currencies) that can return some crypto pairs. But two things make them a poor live tracker:
- Coverage is thin.A handful of major pairs are supported; most coins simply aren't there.
- It never streams. Linked data types are pull-on-refresh — the price only changes when you hit
Data > Refresh All(or a slow scheduled refresh). Even then it's delayed, so it always looks a step behind (why Excel's data type looks stuck).
2. Power Query + a crypto API — any coin, but on a timer
The flexible route is Power Query: Data > From Web, point it at a free crypto API like CoinGecko, parse the JSON, and load the prices into a table. You can then set the query to refresh every N minutes. It covers any coin — but it's a periodic refresh you build and maintain, not a live stream, and the shortest refresh interval is still minutes, not ticks.
3. VBA or a paid add-in — more power, more setup
You can go further with a VBA macro that hits an exchange API on a timer, or a paid market-data add-in. Both can work, but you're now maintaining code or paying for a plugin — heavy machinery for "what's my portfolio worth right now?"
4. A no-formula, live option — any coin, streaming
If what you actually want is live crypto in a grid — without wrestling Excel's data types — Stealth Quotes is a spreadsheet-style tracker (in the browser, not an Excel add-in): type a ticker and it streams the price live, for any coin, next to your stocks. No refresh button, no Power Query, no formulas.
Want live crypto in a spreadsheet without the Refresh button? Type a coin and watch the price stream. Free, no sign-up.
Try it free →Why “real-time” is hard in Excel
Excel's linked data types were built to pull data when you ask, not to pushit as it changes. That's fine for a quarterly model and frustrating for a 24/7 market: the number in your cell is only as fresh as your last refresh. A tool built for streaming quotes updates the moment the price moves — which is the whole point of watching crypto.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Excel have real-time crypto prices?
Not really. Excel's Currencies/Stocks data types cover a limited set of crypto pairs, the prices are delayed, and they never stream — the data only changes when you manually hit Refresh (or set a slow scheduled refresh). It's a snapshot, not a live feed.
How do I pull live crypto prices into Excel?
The DIY route is Power Query (Data > From Web) calling a free crypto API like CoinGecko, then refreshing on an interval. It covers any coin but it's a periodic refresh you set up and maintain, not a true live stream.
Why doesn't Excel's crypto data update automatically?
Excel's linked data types are pull-on-refresh by design — they don't push updates. Even with auto-refresh set to its shortest interval, the value is delayed and only as fresh as the last manual or scheduled refresh.
Is there a live, no-formula way to track crypto like a spreadsheet?
Yes — Stealth Quotes is a spreadsheet-style tracker in the browser (not an Excel add-in) that streams any coin's price live, alongside your stocks, with no formulas and no sign-up. If you want live crypto in a grid without fighting Excel's data types, it's the simplest path.
Live crypto in a spreadsheet — no Refresh button.
Type any coin and get a streaming price next to your stocks, no formulas or Power Query. Free, no sign-up.