For crypto price feeds, Server-Sent Events (SSE) offers a simpler, more reliable alternative to WebSockets. SSE uses a standard HTTP connection to push data from server to client, eliminating the need for complex reconnection logic. A basic implementation requires just 10 lines of code with the native `EventSource` API, which is built into all modern browsers.

The protocol's key advantage is automatic reconnection with exponential backoff, handling network issues without developer intervention. For crypto apps, this means live prices flow reliably from sources like DEX aggregators. When a user needs to execute a trade, that's a separate HTTP POST call, making SSE + REST a complete solution for most use cases.

Production deployment requires managing edge cases like proxy buffering and browser connection limits. Solutions include using HTTP/2 for better concurrency or sharing a single SSE connection across browser tabs. The article argues that for 80% of crypto price feed scenarios, SSE's simplicity and reliability outweigh WebSockets' bidirectional capabilities.