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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Alternative.me’s Crypto Fear & Greed endpoint returns a daily series, but its JSON example represents even numeric-looking fields as strings. Request the number of records you need, convert timestamp strings deliberately, and treat seven observations as six intervals between the first and last—not seven full elapsed days. The documentation does not promise that timestamps fall at midnight UTC.
Which API returns the Fear & Greed data?
This guide covers Alternative.me’s index endpoint: https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/. It is separate from Alternative.me’s crypto market-price API, documented at https://alternative.me/crypto/api/. The latter API’s field descriptions should not be used to infer undocumented behavior for the Fear & Greed endpoint.
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The index endpoint is GET https://api.alternative.me/fng/. Its documented defaults are JSON output and limit=1, so an unmodified request returns one observation, not a history. Set limit to the number of records you want; limit=0 requests all available results.
Why are numeric-looking JSON fields strings?
In Alternative.me’s documented JSON example, value, timestamp, value_classification, and the latest record’s time_until_update are strings. A timestamp may look like a number, but JSON type matters: parse it explicitly rather than assuming arithmetic or date-conversion code will accept it as a numeric value.
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For Unix-time conversion, first convert the timestamp string to an integer. Then use the unit expected by your programming language or date library; do not silently treat seconds as milliseconds or vice versa. Preserve the original value if you need to log or compare what the API returned.
The documentation says time_until_update is returned only for the latest value when limit=1. Batch results can omit it, so check that the property exists before reading or displaying it.
Why does limit=7 cover six days?
limit counts observations, not elapsed 24-hour periods. Seven daily observations have six gaps between the first and last when counted inclusively: for example, points labelled Monday through Sunday are seven points but span six date-to-date intervals. Describe that result as “seven observations” or an “inclusive week of daily data,” not as seven full elapsed days.
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The provider describes the index as daily, but the documentation does not guarantee that records are exactly 24 hours apart or that a seven-record response aligns to particular calendar-week boundaries. If your application needs a precise elapsed-time window, calculate it from the returned timestamps rather than inferring it from the record count.
Are the timestamps midnight UTC?
Alternative.me’s Fear & Greed documentation shows Unix timestamps, but does not state that they represent midnight UTC. A timestamp that appears to land at midnight after conversion may reflect the particular value or the timezone used by your code; it is not a documented guarantee for every record.
Keep the Unix value intact and choose a timezone explicitly when converting it for display. If the timestamp’s apparent time matters to your product, inspect actual API values and verify their behavior before describing them as UTC midnight. Do not add a timezone assumption merely because a date-only chart needs one.
How should I choose and parse a date format?
JSON with an empty date_format uses Unix time. Alternative.me documents us, cn, kr, and world as date-format options; US dates use month/day/year, while world dates use day/month/year. Those forms can be ambiguous if a client parses them using one assumed ordering.
For human-readable dates, request the format you intend to display and parse the response using that same convention. Do not feed both US and world dates through a generic month/day parser: a value such as 04/05/2026 can be read as April 5 or 4 May depending on the format.
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CSV is available with format=csv; the provider documents world as the CSV default and notes CSV can be pasted into spreadsheets. JSON is the default and makes it natural to process named fields in application code, but its sample fields still require deliberate type handling. Choose the output for the consumer, and specify formatting rather than relying on defaults when date interpretation matters.
What should a robust client do?
- Call
GET https://api.alternative.me/fng/?limit=7for seven observations, or use another explicit limit appropriate to the display. Uselimit=0only when the client genuinely needs all available results. - Read the response according to its output format. With JSON, treat the documented numeric-looking fields as strings until explicitly parsed.
- Convert
timestampto an integer before Unix-time conversion, and pass the correct seconds-or-milliseconds unit to your date library. - When showing dates instead of Unix values, set
date_formatto a documented option and parse that exact convention. - Handle
time_until_updateas optional; the documentation limits it to the latest record forlimit=1. - Label a seven-record daily response as seven observations, and compute elapsed time from actual timestamps if duration is important.
What attribution is required when displaying the index?
Alternative.me says displayed Fear & Greed data must have prominent attribution. Its page permits commercial use when attribution is placed right next to the data. Keep the source credit visible with the chart, value, or table rather than hiding it on a distant credits page. The provider also prohibits impersonating Alternative.me or creating a service that could be confused with its offering.
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