Explore → dAPIs

Using dAPIs in a dApp ​

As outlined on the page What are dAPIs?, API3 has created a unified, user-friendly implementation that is designed to simplify the process of obtaining data feed services. The API3 Market enables dApp owners to connect to a decentralized API and access its data feeds. There are two types of dAPIs:

• Self-funded dAPIs
• Managed dAPIs (under development)

Self-funded dAPIs ​

Self-funded dAPIs currently rely on a single first-party oracle. They offer dApp owners the opportunity to make use of data feeds with minimal up-front commitment and are accessible permissionlessly➚ for developers.

Using Self-funded dAPIs ​

Self-funded dAPIs require any dApp owner to provide funds into a sponsor wallet. These funds are used by the first-party oracle, that supports a particular data feed, to pay gas costs when placing the value of the data feed on-chain. Once sufficient funds are available, updates will begin automatically within a 15 minute window. In accordance with deviation thresholds and heartbeat these funds will be used to maintain the on-chain price of the respective dAPI until they are depleted. In many cases you will find that the a dAPI's sponsor wallet has already been funded and any dApp owner can proceed to use the dAPI.

Accessing a self-funded dAPI ​

The API3 Market➚ features a user-friendly UI that enables easy activation and management of self-funded dAPIs. To use a self-funded data feed you:

• Select a data feed within the API3 Market

• Fund a sponsor wallet (if not already funded)

• Deploy the proxy contract (if not already deployed)

• Read the dAPI

  

The dAPI integration process has been designed to be simple and abstract away any further technical lifting, offering a standardized implementation for all data feeds. Developers then obtain the value of by reading the dAPIs value using a proxy contract.

Why use self-funded dAPIs ​

A self-funded data feed provides advantages for dApp owners:

• Developers can utilize dAPIs in a permissionless fashion using the self-serve tooling within the API3 Market➚
• Developers have the ability to use a first-party oracle within early stages of the development life cycle without an ongoing commitment
• dApps that may only require data feeds for a short period of time can activate a self-funded dAPI as needed

Managed dAPIs ​

Managed dAPIs are sourced from multiple first-party oracles and aggregated using a median function. Managed dAPIs are currently under development.

Accessing Managed dAPIs ​

When available, self-funded dAPIs can be upgraded to a managed dAPI by paying the API3 DAO. The API3 Market will facilitate this process and allow potential users to specify desired amount of first-party oracles that should be included in the aggregation. API3 will create the respective beacon set for a dAPI from the best available first-party oracles for the requested data set and point the dAPI towards this creation.

In addition, API3 takes over the gas management overhead associated with operating managed dAPIs. Compared to self-funded dAPIs, managed dAPIs are monetized, as API3 requires payment in USDC on Ethereum Mainnet to operate them. API3 recommends the usage of managed dAPIs in high value production use cases.

API3 Market ​

The API3 Market lists all available dAPIs, self-funded and (in-time) managed dAPis. It represents a hub that allows developers to:

• Browse through a catalogue of potential data feeds to integrate
• Fund their operation in the case of self-funded dAPIs
• Pay for the upgrade to a managed version (under development)
• Request new data types

You can head to the API3 Market➚ now and use self-funded dAPIs.