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Definition

Total supply, circulating supply, and max supply are all related to the amount of a specific cryptocurrency that is in circulation. However, there are important differences between these three concepts:
  • Max supply: Max supply refers to the maximum amount of a specific cryptocurrency that will ever exist. This is typically determined by the coin’s or token’s protocol, and is often set at the time of the coin’s creation. For example, Bitcoin has a max supply of 21 million coins.
  • Circulating supply: Circulating supply refers to the total amount of a specific cryptocurrency that is currently in circulation and available to the public for trading or transactions. This includes all coins or tokens that have been issued or mined, minus any coins or tokens that have been burned, destroyed, or locked.
  • Total supply: Total supply refers to the maximum amount of a specific cryptocurrency that can exist at any given time. This can be the same as the max supply, but may also be a lower number, depending on the rules set by the coin’s or token’s protocol. For example, a cryptocurrency may have a max supply of 1 billion coins, but a total supply of 500 million, indicating that only 500 million coins will ever be in circulation at one time.

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Details

Amberdata provides comprehensive supply metrics via its API, including:
  • Total supply
  • Circulating supply
  • Max supply
  • Minted, burned, and transferred token volumes
This data enables granular tracking of a token’s issuance and lifecycle activity across supported blockchains.

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API Endpoints

/market/metrics/{asset}/supply/latest /market/metrics/{asset}/supply/historical /blockchains/tokens/{hash}/supplies/historical

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Availability

Supply data is available through REST API, WebSockets, and JSON RPC. Amberdata supports a wide range of blockchain networks, which are listed in the API Documentation. Because node infrastructure is maintained in-house, complete historical datasets are available starting from each chain’s genesis block.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does supply affect the price of an asset?
  • When the circulating supply is low relative to the total or max supply and demand is high, the price may rise due to scarcity. Conversely, if supply is high and demand is low, the price may fall due to oversupply.
Can the supply of an asset be fixed?
  • Yes. Fixed-supply assets often appreciate in value when demand increases due to their scarcity.
Why is tracking supply data important?
  • Supply metrics offer insight into the monetary policy, tokenomics, and economic health of a blockchain network. They are foundational for evaluating inflation, scarcity, and overall asset performance in both fundamental and technical analysis.