Decentralized API (DAPI)#

Overview#

Historically, nodes in most cryptocurrency networks communicated with each other, and the outside world, according to a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol. The use of P2P protocols presented some downsides for developers, namely, network resources were difficult to access without specialized knowledge or trusted third-party services.

To overcome these obstacles, the Dash decentralized API (DAPI) uses Dash’s robust masternode infrastructure to provide an API for accessing the network. DAPI supports both layer 1 (Core blockchain) and layer 2 (Dash Platform) functionality so all developers can interact with Dash via a single interface.

Security#

DAPI protects connections by using TLS to encrypt communication between clients and the masternodes. This encryption safeguards transmitted data from unauthorized access, interception, or tampering. Platform gRPC endpoints provide an additional level of security by optionally returning cryptographic proofs. Successful proof verification guarantees that the server responded without modifying the requested data.

Endpoint Overview#

DAPI currently provides 2 types of endpoints: JSON-RPC and gRPC. The JSON-RPC endpoints expose some layer 1 information while the gRPC endpoints support layer 2 as well as streaming of events related to blocks and transactions/transitions. For a list of all endpoints and usage details, please see the DAPI endpoint reference section.