ApeChain API Quickstart

Introduction

ApeChain is a dedicated infrastructure layer designed to power the ApeCoin ecosystem. It’s an Arbitrum Orbit chain that utilizes $APE as its native gas token, significantly enhancing $APE’s utility and fostering a robust, dynamic economy. ApeChain focuses on ecosystem discovery, unique web3 rails, and top-of-funnel exposure to provide developers and users with the best possible blockchain experience.

What is the ApeChain API?

The ApeChain API allows interaction with the ApeChain network through a set of JSON-RPC methods. Its design is familiar to developers who have worked with Ethereum’s JSON-RPC APIs, making it intuitive and straightforward to use.

Getting Started Instructions

1. Choose a Package Manager (npm or yarn)

Select a package manager to manage your project’s dependencies. Choose between npm and yarn based on your preference or project requirements.

2. Set Up Your Project

Open your terminal and execute the following commands to create and initialize your project:

$
mkdir apechain-api-quickstart
>
cd apechain-api-quickstart
>
npm init --yes

$
mkdir apechain-api-quickstart
>
cd apechain-api-quickstart
>
yarn init --yes

This creates a new directory named apechain-api-quickstart and initializes a Node.js project within it.

3. Make Your First Request

Install Axios, a popular HTTP client, to make API requests:

$
npm install axios
>
# Or with yarn
>
# yarn add axios

Create an index.js file in your project directory and paste the following code:

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const axios = require('axios');
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const url = '<https://apechain-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${your-api-key}>';
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const payload = {
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  jsonrpc: '2.0',
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  id: 1,
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  method: 'eth_blockNumber',
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  params: []
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};
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axios.post(url, payload)
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  .then(response => {
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    console.log('Latest Block:', response.data.result);
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  })
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  .catch(error => {
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    console.error(error);
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  });

Remember to replace your-api-key with your actual Alchemy API key that you can get from your Alchemy dashboard.

4. Run Your Script

Execute your script to make a request to the ApeChain mainnet:

$
node index.js

You should see the latest block information from ApeChain’s mainnet outputted to your console:

$
Latest Block: 0x...

Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve made your first request to the ApeChain API on the mainnet. You can now explore the various JSON-RPC methods available on ApeChain and start building your dApps on this innovative platform designed for the ApeCoin ecosystem.