Blockchain APIs offer an independent, verifiable, ‘source of truth’ to get the data that matters most to you.
With a blockchain API, you can query your onchain transactions and wallet account balances, even when accounts are managed by a third party.
Click here if you’d like to learn how to get your own free blockchain API key in under 60 seconds. Otherwise, read on to learn about the possibilities blockchain APIs unlock, and why they're important today.
Blockchain APIs 101
An API, or application programming interface, is a set of routines and protocols that allow you to interact with a computer. In our case, with a blockchain.
APIs enable the applications you use to connect with the services and data available on another application. APIs are used by developers to build useful tools like the ones we use daily: Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, or Twitter's Tweetbot.
A blockchain API is a tool that allows you to not only develop applications based on blockchain technology, but also gives you on-demand access to your information stored in a blockchain.
Blockchain APIs are your access point to a blockchain’s decentralized ledger. A ledger is a database that stores information, such as your transactions or wallet account balances.
Ledgers are used to track ownership, value, and other information about something.
For example, the blockchain ledger tracks cryptocurrency transactions; the stock market ledger tracks stocks; and your bank's ledgers keep track of how much money you have in your account and what you've done with it recently (or your mortgage balance).
Don’t Trust. Verify.
Without a blockchain API, individuals and institutions often default to using a single data source or trust that crypto transactions and wallet account balances are reported accurately by an external third party.
Don’t rely on trust alone, reconcile the on chain data with a real time check from an independent source. Here’s why you should use a blockchain API to query your crypto transactions, and account balances:
- Full balance transparency
- Real time account updates
- Verification and data reporting
- Reconcile transactions and confirmations
You can easily verify that crypto transactions and account balances are always 100% correct with the Ubiquity API.
How to Query Your Crypto Transactions and Wallet Account Balances
We recommend you get started with the Ubiquity API to query your crypto transactions and wallet account balances.
An API suite such as Ubiquity allows you to query data on over a dozen blockchains, using a single, common data standard. The advantage here is that it’s easier for those who aren’t familiar with different native APIs of various blockchains to get started.
The downside of choosing APIs specific to certain networks is that they could limit your options in terms of which blockchain to query. If you’re not sure which option is right for you, working with a multi-chain API, such as Ubiquity, can help get the ball rolling quickly.
Here’s how to get started:
1) Create a Free Ubiquity API Key
Click here to learn how to get a free Ubiquity key in 60 seconds. This grants access to Ubiquity Universal API - one standardized API data format to query transactions and wallet account balances across multiple blockchains
Note:
Ubiquity Starter tier is free to test for a period of time. To discuss usage volumes and pricing options, contact sales.
2) Call Endpoints
Using an API client (such as Postman), call the following endpoints, including your desired protocol and network in the URL:
GET Transaction by Hash. View instructions on Blockdaemon’s documentation site
GET Balances of Address. View instructions on Blockdaemon’s documentation site
3) View Returned Transaction & Balance
With Ubiquity, you can view the returned on-chain data through a single API, rather than relying on multiple different endpoints and native APIs from various different protocols
Get Started with a Blockchain API Today
Blockchain APIs have many use cases.
This includes things like identity management, data retrieval, and verifying NFT ownership. It also allows us to create smart contracts that can be executed on the blockchain by different parties without relying on a third party arbitrator.
Today, verifying on chain data is critical to achieving transparency without relying on a third party.
We recommend getting started with Ubiquity, as it gives you the versatility to work with multiple different blockchains through a common framework. You can sign up for Ubiquity today, at app.blockdaemon.com.
If you're still interested in learning more, check out our documentation, or our blog, which contains everything from tech developments to product updates, and industry news.
We also have an email newsletter that goes out regularly with articles written by the Blockdaemon team, as well as links to what's new in the world of blockchain technology.
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