Symbol Mapping
Symbol mapping is a lookup table that connects different symbol formats to the same underlying asset. It translates between exchange-specific naming conventions.
Understanding the Concept
Every exchange invented their own symbol format. Binance uses BTCUSDT. Coinbase uses BTC-USD. Kraken uses XXBTZUSD. FTX used BTC-PERP. Some exchanges change their formats over time.
Symbol mapping maintains these relationships so you don't have to. It's a constantly-updated database that knows which symbols mean what, on which exchanges, and how they've changed historically.
This isn't a solved problem you do once. Exchanges add new pairs, rename assets, delist tokens, and introduce new instrument types constantly. Symbol mapping requires ongoing maintenance and updates.
Real-World Example
You want to compare ETH prices across 10 exchanges. Without symbol mapping, you'd need to know: ETH-USD (Coinbase), ETHUSDT (Binance), XETHZUSD (Kraken), ETH_USDT (some DEXs), and so on. Symbol mapping gives you one query that works everywhere.
How PRISM Handles This
PRISM maintains symbol mappings for 50+ exchanges, updated in real-time. Our /symbols endpoint returns all known symbols for any asset. You can also reverse-lookup: give us any symbol, get back the canonical asset it represents.
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