Arbitrum Nova Quickstart

*To use the Arbitrum Nova API you’ll need to create a free Alchemy account first.

Introduction

Arbitrum Nova is a layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum that leverages optimistic rollups to provide fast and low-cost transactions. Designed to support the needs of decentralized applications (dApps), Arbitrum Nova enhances the scalability and efficiency of Ethereum-based applications.

What is the Arbitrum Nova API?

The Arbitrum Nova API facilitates interaction with the Arbitrum Nova network through a collection of JSON-RPC methods. Given its compatibility with the Ethereum ecosystem, developers familiar with Ethereum’s JSON-RPC APIs will find working with Arbitrum Nova both intuitive and straightforward.

Getting Started Instructions

1. Choose a Package Manager (npm or yarn)

Your first step involves selecting a package manager, which will be crucial for managing your project’s dependencies. The choice between npm and yarn depends on your personal preference or project requirements.

2. Set Up Your Project

To kickstart your project, open your terminal and execute the following commands:

mkdir arbitrum-nova-api-quickstart
cd arbitrum-nova-api-quickstart
npm init --yes

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

3. Make Your First Request

For making API requests, we’ll use Axios, a widely-used HTTP client. Install Axios with the following command:

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

Next, create an index.js file in your project directory. Paste the following code to send a request to the Arbitrum Nova network:

1
const axios = require('axios');
2
3
const url = `https://arbnova-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${yourAPIKey}`;
4
5
const payload = {
6
  jsonrpc: '2.0',
7
  id: 1,
8
  method: 'eth_blockNumber',
9
  params: []
10
};
11
12
axios.post(url, payload)
13
  .then(response => {
14
    console.log('Block Number:', response.data.result);
15
  })
16
  .catch(error => {
17
    console.error(error);
18
  });

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

4. Run Your Script

To execute your script and make a request to the Arbitrum Nova Chain, run:

$
node index.js

You should see the current block number on Arbitrum Nova Chain (in hexadecimal format) outputted to your console:

$
Block Number: 0x6d68e

Next Steps

Well done! You’ve just made your first request to the Arbitrum Nova API. With this foundation, you can dive deeper into the array of JSON-RPC methods available on Arbitrum Nova Chain and start building your dApps on it!