The API integrates more than 50 blockchains
Blockchain explorer and analytics provider EtherScan has introduced a V2 application programming interface (API) update, a significant upgrade to simplify multichain development.
The Etherscan v2 beta release allows developers to access data across 50 Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchain networks using a single API key.
An API is a unique code entered to identify and authenticate a user, effectively acting as a digital ID badge that grants access to API services or data.
With Etherscan, API keys protect both the service and the user, preventing unauthorized access and enabling the optimization of data and services for authorized users.
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Key features
The main change from v1 to v2 is streamlining EtherScan's approach to multichain data access, which now provides a new API using the “chainID” parameter.
This parameter allows developers to specify the target blockchain in a single API, eliminating the need for multiple API keys and different configurations for each blockchain.
Supported chains include Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, and more, including related testnets like Sepolia, Goerli, and others unique to each network.
A table showing some of the supported chains for Etherscan v2's new API key. Source: Etherscan
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Constructive influence and consideration
Etherscan v2's unified API makes it easier for developers to build applications across multiple blockchains, establishing a single point of management for blockchain data.
A single API key can reduce setup time, simplify code, and remain compatible with v1, eliminating disruption concerns for existing applications and related services.
Etherscan explained that not all blockchain endpoints are currently supported, and while there is no timeline for downgrading v1, Blockchain Browser plans to phase out v1 over time.
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Multichain application implications
The trend towards a unified blockchain is growing from cross-border to cross-chain, as seen in developments such as the demonstration of Chainlink's new blockchain payment solution.
The EtherScan v2 Unified API Key adds another string to this bow, moving towards multichain standardized and accessible blockchain data for developers and users alike.
Although multichain APIs already exist in Web3, Eterscan's history is well known, and the move to v2 could improve application efficiency and reduce developer costs.
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