Need Help With First Agent Code From Agents Course

Beginners
1

Hi Everyone,

I’m at the end of Unit 1 Agents Course where you build your first agent. Can someone please help me fix my code for crypto token pricing? I’ve been stuck for a couple days attempting to fix running errors. The current problem now is in line 17: args for currency…I have used ‘usd’ & int in args, but I get errors with each one.

Here is code:

from smolagents import tool
import requests
import pandas as pd

Below is an example of a tool that does nothing. Amaze us with your creativity !

@tool

def my_custom_tool(arg1:str, arg2:int): str #it’s important to specify the return type

#Keep this format for the description / args / args description but feel free to modify the tool

“”"A tool that does nothing yet

Args:

arg1: the first argument

arg2: the second argument

“”"

# re@toolurn

@tool

Function to get current prices of specified cryptocurrencies

def get_crypto_prices(crypto_ids: str, currency=‘usd’):
“”"This is a tool to get current crypto token market prices in usd currency using the coingecko api.
Args:
args1: crypto_ids= Input for crypto_ids is a string
args2: currency= Output for currency is an integer

Responses: 
    You should return all valid requests with the crypto id, and its current price in usd denominations.
"""

url = f"https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/simple/price?ids={','.join(crypto_ids)}&vs_currencies={currency}"
response = requests.get(url)

if response.status_code == 200:
    data = response.json()
    return pd.DataFrame(data).T  # Transpose for better readability
else:
    print("Failed to retrieve data")
    return None

Specify the cryptocurrencies you want to check

cryptos = [‘bitcoin’, ‘ethereum’, ‘ripple’]

Get current prices

prices = get_crypto_prices(cryptos)
print(prices)

I would appreciate any insight to help me improve…Please, and Thank you!!!

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2

It seems possible that the data type of the argument passed to the API is incorrect.

Your error comes from two things: wrong type for currency and several syntax issues. vs_currencies in CoinGecko’s Simple Price API must be a string like "usd", not an int. The @tool function must have proper type hints, a real docstring, and no stray text between @tool and def. (CoinGecko API) (Hugging Face)

Use this cleaned version:

from smolagents import tool
import requests
import pandas as pd

@tool
def my_custom_tool(arg1: str, arg2: int) -> str:
    """A placeholder tool that simply echoes its inputs.
    Args:
        arg1: The first argument.
        arg2: The second argument.
    Returns:
        A short status string.
    """
    return f"arg1={arg1}, arg2={arg2}"

@tool
def get_crypto_prices(crypto_ids: list[str], currency: str = "usd") -> dict:
    """Get current crypto prices using CoinGecko Simple Price.
    Args:
        crypto_ids: List of CoinGecko coin IDs, e.g. ["bitcoin","ethereum","ripple"].
        currency: Fiat currency code, e.g. "usd".
    Returns:
        Dict mapping coin_id -> price in the requested currency.
    """
    if not crypto_ids:
        return {"error": "crypto_ids must be a non-empty list"}

    url = "https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/simple/price"
    params = {"ids": ",".join(crypto_ids), "vs_currencies": currency.lower()}

    try:
        r = requests.get(url, params=params, timeout=10)
        r.raise_for_status()
    except Exception as e:
        return {"error": f"request failed: {e}"}

    data = r.json()  # shape: {"bitcoin":{"usd":12345.6}, ...}
    # flatten to { "bitcoin": 12345.6, ... }
    return {coin: payload.get(currency.lower()) for coin, payload in data.items()}

# Example usage outside the agent:
cryptos = ["bitcoin", "ethereum", "ripple"]
prices = get_crypto_prices(cryptos, currency="usd")
print(prices)

# Optional: nice tabular view for humans
df = pd.DataFrame.from_dict(prices, orient="index", columns=["usd"])
print(df)

Why this fixes it:

  • currency is typed as str with default "usd", matching CoinGecko’s API. (CoinGecko API)
  • crypto_ids is a list[str] since you join it for the query. (CoinGecko API)
  • Proper @tool usage with type hints and a real docstring, as shown in the course docs. (Hugging Face)
  • Removed smart quotes and stray text that caused syntax errors.

Notes:

  • Use valid CoinGecko coin IDs (e.g., "bitcoin", "ethereum", "ripple"). (CoinGecko API)
  • If you ever need token prices by contract address instead, use the token-address endpoint. (CoinGecko API)
  • Expect caching and rate limits; don’t call this in tight loops. (CoinGecko)

References and examples:

3

Thank You, very much!!! I was on coingecko api page studying, and attempting to re-work the api calling format…but your valuable input will help me get pass initial running time errors.

Thanks A Lot!!!

1 Like