How to track crypto prices in Google Sheets (any coin, real-time)
A spreadsheet is a great place to watch a crypto watchlist — until you hit GOOGLEFINANCE's wall: it covers only a few coins and lags the market. Here are the real ways to get crypto prices into a sheet, from the free-but-limited to the real-time.
Free to start · no sign-up needed · real-time on every plan.
July 24, 2026 · 5 min read
1. GOOGLEFINANCE with CURRENCY: — free, but only the majors
For a top coin you can use the currency-pair syntax: =GOOGLEFINANCE("CURRENCY:BTCUSD") or "CURRENCY:ETHUSD". It works for BTC, ETH and a handful of others — but ask for almost any other coin and you get #N/A. It's also delayed and stops updating when the tab is closed (why crypto fails in Sheets).
2. Scraping with IMPORTXML — fragile
Some people scrape a price off CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko with IMPORTXML. It breaks constantly: those pages are JavaScript-rendered, the HTML changes, and Google gets rate-limited (why IMPORTXML stops working). Not something to trust for a portfolio.
3. A crypto API via Apps Script — works, but it's code
The robust DIY route is calling a free API (CoinGecko, or an exchange) from Google Apps Script and writing the result into a cell on a timer. It works and it's reliable — but it means maintaining a script, an API, and a refresh trigger, which is a lot for "what's BTC at?"
4. A no-formula tracker — any coin, live
If you just want the prices, a purpose-built spreadsheet like Stealth Quotes streams any coin in real time — you type the ticker (BTC, ETH, SOL, or a long-tail coin) and it fills in a live price, alongside your stocks in the same sheet. No CURRENCY: syntax, no scraping, no Apps Script.
Stocks and crypto in one sheet
The reason people put crypto in a spreadsheet at all is to see it next toeverything else — stocks, ETFs, the whole watchlist, in one calm view. GOOGLEFINANCE can't do that for crypto; a no-formula tracker can, in real time, without a single formula to break.
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Frequently asked questions
Can GOOGLEFINANCE track crypto?
Only a few major coins, via the CURRENCY: syntax — e.g. =GOOGLEFINANCE("CURRENCY:BTCUSD"). For most coins it returns #N/A because there's no data, and even the coins it supports are delayed and freeze when the sheet is closed.
How do I get real-time crypto prices in Google Sheets?
Natively you can't — GOOGLEFINANCE is delayed and covers few coins. The options are a fragile IMPORTXML scrape, a CoinGecko/exchange API call via Apps Script (needs code), or a no-formula tool like Stealth Quotes that streams any coin live.
Which coins can I track?
With GOOGLEFINANCE, essentially only BTC, ETH and a handful of majors. With a dedicated tracker you can watch any listed coin — majors and long-tail alike — in real time.
Every coin, live, in a spreadsheet.
Type a ticker — BTC, ETH or any coin — and get a real-time price next to your stocks. No formulas, no scraping. Free, no sign-up.