Danilo Jamaal

Posted on Aug 10 • Edited on Aug 11

How I Transformed LunarCrush's REST API into Developer-Friendly GraphQL

#graphql #dx #api #lunarcrush

LunarCrush API is genuinely impressive - several comprehensive endpoints covering everything from crypto prices to everything regarding social engagement. It's the most complete crypto social intelligence API on the market.

But here's the thing: when you're building quickly or prototyping, even the best REST APIs can slow you down as you try to figure out how to get the data you need. Multiple endpoint calls, data joining on the frontend, and figuring out which endpoints to combine for your specific use case.

So I built something to unlock LunarCrush's full potential faster - a GraphQL wrapper that makes this incredible data even easier to work with.

What this gives you:

🎯 All of the power of LunarCrush's REST API in unified GraphQL queries
⚡ Explore the full API schema interactively before committing to code
📊 Perfect for rapid prototyping and discovering what's possible

Time: 5 minutes to first query | Level: Any developer

Perfect for: Exploring LunarCrush capabilities, rapid prototyping, learning what social data is available

🚀 The Power of LunarCrush API

First, let me show you why LunarCrush impressed me so much. This API provides:

🌟 Comprehensive Social Intelligence

Real-Time Social Data: Build smarter apps with real-time social data
Influencer Tracking: See which creators are moving markets
Viral Content Detection: Catch trending posts before they explode

📊 Advanced Market Metrics

Galaxy Score™: Proprietary social + technical analysis ranking
AltRank™: Alternative ranking system beyond market cap

🎯 Professional Trading Features

Time Series Data: Historical social and price correlations
Breaking News Integration: Social posts linked to news events
Platform Breakdown: Platform-specific engagement metrics

This is seriously impressive data. The challenge isn't the API quality - it's making all this power easy to explore and integrate quickly.

⚡ The Developer Experience Challenge

When I started building with LunarCrush, I faced the classic REST API exploration challenge:
The "Figure It Out" Phase

// Which endpoints do I need for a crypto dashboard?
GET /coins/list                       # Coin listings  
GET /coins/btc                        # Specific coin data
GET /coins/btc/time-series            # Historical data
GET /coins/btc              # Social posts
GET /topic/bitcoin/creators           # Topic creators
// ... and several more endpoints

//The "Join Data" Phase
// Now combine all this data on the frontend
const bitcoinData = await fetch('/coins/btc');
const bitcoinPosts = await fetch('/coins/btc');
const topCreators = await fetch('/topic/bitcoin/creators');

// Manually join and format everything
const dashboard = {
  bitcoin: {
    ...bitcoinData.data,
    posts: bitcoinPosts.data,
    relatedCreators: topCreators.data.filter(/* complex logic */)
  }
};

This isn't a LunarCrush problem - this is how REST APIs work. Each endpoint is focused and efficient, which is exactly what you want for production systems.

But for exploration and rapid prototyping? I wondered if there was a faster way to get up and running.

🎯 The GraphQL Solution

I built a GraphQL wrapper that makes LunarCrush's comprehensive data much easier to explore:
Before: Multiple REST Calls
After: One GraphQL Query

graphqlquery CryptoDashboard {
  getCoin(coin: "btc") {
    # Basic data
    name price market_cap

    # LunarCrush's social intelligence
    galaxy_score
    alt_rank  

    # Advanced insights
    market_cap_rank
    percent_change_24h
  }

  # Get top creators in one query
  getTopicCreators(topic: "bitcoin"){
    creator_id
    creator_name
    creator_avatar
    creator_followers
    creator_rank
    interactions_24h
}

  # Get trending coins
  getCoinsList(sort: "galaxy_score"){
    symbol
    name
    price
    price_btc
    volume_24h
    volatility
    circulating_supply
    max_supply
    percent_change_7d
    percent_change_30d
    market_cap
    market_cap_rank
    interactions_24h
    social_volume_24h
    social_dominance
    market_dominance
    market_dominance_prev
    galaxy_score
    galaxy_score_previous
    alt_rank
    alt_rank_previous
    sentiment
}
}

Same incredible LunarCrush data, zero complexity.

🚀 Even Simpler: The SDK Approach

But I wanted to make it even easier. Enter the LunarCrush SDK:

import LunarCrush from 'lunarcrush-sdk';

const lc = new LunarCrush('your-api-key-here');
const coinsList = await lc.coins.list();

That's it. Three lines of code and you have access to LunarCrush's complete social intelligence platform.
SDK Features

// Get any cryptocurrency's complete profile
const bitcoin = await lc.coins.get('BTC');
console.log(`Bitcoin Galaxy Score: ${bitcoin.galaxy_score}/100`);

// Explore trending social topics  
const trending = await lc.topics.list();

// Get stock data too
const appleStock = await lc.stocks.get('AAPL');

🔑 Getting Your LunarCrush API Key

Ready to harness this social intelligence? Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Sign Up For LunarCrush
👉 Create Account at LunarCrush.com

Use my discount referral code JAMAALBUILDS to receive 15% off your plan.

Enter your email and verify it
Complete the onboarding (select interests, create profile)
Important: Choose a subscription plan (required for API access)

Step 2: Generate API Key
Navigate to the LunarCrush API Authentication page and generate your key.

Step 3: Start Building

bash npm install lunarcrush-sdk

import LunarCrush from 'lunarcrush-sdk';
const lc = new LunarCrush('your-api-key-here');

You now have access to the most comprehensive crypto social intelligence platform available

🏆 Why This Matters for Crypto Development

The Social Intelligence Advantage
Traditional crypto APIs give you price and volume. LunarCrush gives you the social signals that move markets:

Early Trend Detection: Social momentum often precedes price movements
Influencer Impact: Track which creators drive market movements
Viral Content: Catch trending content before it explodes

Perfect for Modern Applications

Trading Platforms: Social sentiment + traditional technical analysis
Portfolio Apps: Social intelligence for investment decisions
Research Tools: Community sentiment and trend analysis
News Applications: Social proof and engagement metrics
Educational Platforms: Learn from top crypto creators

🌟 Repository & Community

👉 Fork the Repository

What's included:

✅ Complete GraphQL schema for all LunarCrush endpoints
✅ TypeScript definitions for full type safety
✅ Production-ready Cloudflare Workers deployment

Why Developers Love This Approach

Faster Prototyping: Test ideas quickly with interactive GraphQL
Better Developer Experience: Explore all available data before committing
Type Safety: Full TypeScript support for crypto data structures
Modern Architecture: GraphQL + edge computing best practices

Community & Contributions

⭐ Star the repository to support open source crypto tools
🐦 Share your projects - tag @jamaalbuilds and @LunarCrush
💡 Contribute examples - help other developers discover LunarCrush's potential
🚀 Build something amazing - show the world what social intelligence can do

🎉 Start Building Today

Ready to explore crypto social intelligence?

👉 Try the GraphQL Playground
👉 Read the Docs
👉 Install the SDK
👉 Get Your LunarCrush API Key