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APIs used:
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  • Market Data  
  • Ownership & Token Gating  

From digital art and collectibles to in-game items, real estate, and many more, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are revolutionizing ownership in the digital age. They have unique identifications and associated metadata that distinguish them from each other which makes them non-fungible unlike ERC20 tokens which are fungible/interchangeable (for example 1 USDC -> 1 USDC, 1 USDT can also be exchanged for 1 USDT). 

Why NFTs Matter

  • They provide proof of authenticity and scarcity for digital works due to tracking on blockchain. Artists can sell limited editions.

  • Digital artists can attach copyright/royalties to their NFT artworks. 

  • Buyers can verify the authenticity of their NFTs and be sure it's an original, not a copy.

  • NFT marketplaces like OpenSea provide a shop front for creators to sell their works as NFTs to a global audience. Expanding earning potential.

So NFTs establish digital ownership that was not possible before, providing creators an opportunity to monetize art and build closer relationships with collectors through exclusive works and benefits. The market continues to grow with recorded sales of NFTs in art, music, videos, memes and more. 

Now, let's shift our focus to the main subject Navigating NFT APIs. Before we proceed, let's first clarify what an API is.

What are APIs?

APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are similar to communication channels that enable two software systems to interact programmatically. They act as intermediaries, exposing the functionality of an application in a manner that allows other systems to access it through standard network protocols. Importantly, users leveraging an API do not need to understand the internal workings or implementation details of the application. Instead, APIs provide a standardized way for different software components to communicate and share data seamlessly. 

In short, APIs facilitate the integration and interoperability of different software systems, promoting efficient and streamlined interactions between them.

What is an NFT API?

An NFT API, or Non-Fungible Token Application Programming Interface, serves as a structured gateway that provides read access to NFT data, covering information such as metadata, ownership details, sales records, and so on. This access is extended across various blockchains and NFT platforms, allowing developers and applications to get specific data related to NFTs without the need for intricate knowledge about the underlying blockchain infrastructure.

Picture being in a big digital treasure warehouse full of unique items like artwork, collectibles, all known as NFTs. Each item with its own details. Now, think of the NFT API as a special map and search engine for this warehouse that helps developers and apps find specific details about these items without dealing with the technology behind it.

Instead of getting lost in code, someone can easily use the API to search for Bored Ape NFTs that have the rarest traits or the current price of CryptoPunk NFT. The API then connects to the blockchain, finds the relevant NFTs, and gets their details like ownership history, sale records, and descriptions. This information is then shown in an easy-to-understand way, similar to what you see on OpenSea when looking for a specific NFT.

Similarly, other NFT APIs function as bridges between applications and the information stored within NFT ecosystems, providing a standardized way for developers to integrate NFT data into their projects. 

Examples of common NFT APIs:  

  • Metadata API: Provides metadata like images, properties for NFT tokens.

  • Market Data API: Historically aggregated NFT sales data from platforms.

  • Transaction API: Pull data on all transactions associated to an NFT.

  • Indexer API: Filter and search NFTs based on metadata attributes.

These APIs play a key role in streamlining the development process, enabling seamless integration of NFT functionalities, and enhancing the overall accessibility and use of NFT-related information across different blockchain networks and platforms.

Benefits of NFT APIs

  • Anyone can build applications that use NFT information, even without blockchain expertise.

  • Developers don't need to build everything from scratch, making it faster to create NFT-related apps.

  • Apps can display rich information about NFTs, making them more interesting and engaging.

How to Use NFT APIs

Most NFT APIs require an API key or OAuth authentication to access. This allows them to identify the application or user making requests. Some of the things to consider are:

  • Use HTTPS to ensure secure data transmission.

  • Store API keys securely, don't commit them to source code repositories.

  • Set up proper access controls if multiple applications uses an API key.

  • Follow rate limiting guidelines to avoid throttling.

Use Cases

The use case of an NFT API depends on the platform’s API features available. Below are some common examples of what you can integrate with NFT APIs:

Building NFT Marketplaces

You can use NFT APIs to build platforms like OpenSea or Rarible where users can buy, sell, and trade NFTs across various blockchains.

  • Fetch and display NFT details, metadata, ownership history, and price information to create dynamic and informative marketplaces.

  • Enable users to search, filter, and sort NFTs based on various criteria, such as collection, rarity, price, or traits.

  • Handle NFT sales, purchases, and transfers securely and efficiently.

NFT Galleries and Showcases

You can also use Metadata APIs to create immersive showcases or virtual museums to exhibit NFT collections. Display comprehensive details for each NFT, such as descriptions, creator stories, and ownership history enabling users to interact with NFTs, like zooming in on artwork or exploring its properties.

NFT Analytics and Tracking Tools

  • Build dashboards and data visualizations to track market trends, price fluctuations, and NFT performance. 

  • Leverage Market Data APIs to analyze historical and real-time sales data, identify investment opportunities, and predict future trends.

  • Build tools for tracking individual NFT ownership or portfolio performance using Transaction APIs.

Building Portfolio Trackers

  • Retrieve and display a user's NFT collection across multiple wallets and blockchains, providing a comprehensive overview of their assets.

  • Estimate the current market value of NFTs based on real-time market data, helping users track their portfolio's performance.

This is an example of a simple portfolio tracker built with Covalent API.

You can check how to build it here.

These are just a few examples, and the possibilities are constantly expanding as the NFT ecosystem evolves. 

What You Can Do with Covalent’s NFT API

Covalent's NFT API stands as a powerful gateway, providing instant access to a vast world of NFTs across more than 150 blockchain networks. It makes things easy for developers by providing quick access to NFT media, details, and transaction information.

Let's look at some things you can do with Covalent's NFT API:

  • Get NFTs for Address: Shows NFTs in a specific wallet. Developers can make a cool display of the NFTs someone owns like how the portfolio tracker was built.

  • Get NFTs from Contract with Metadata: Gets NFT details and IDs from a collection for creating displays. Developers can create attractive NFT displays by getting details from a contract.

  • Get NFT Transactions for Contract: Fetches all transactions of an NFT, good for history tables or price charts. Developers can track NFT journeys by collecting transaction data for history tables or price charts.

  • Get Traits for a Collection: Shows the traits of a collection. Developers can improve the user experience by showing unique traits in NFT collections.

  • Get Trait Summary for Collection: Calculates how rare a collection is based on its traits. Rarity scores help developers and collectors understand how unique an NFT collection is.

  • Get Attributes for a Collection Trait: Counts unique values for traits in a collection. Developers can analyze and show the variety of traits in a collection.

  • Get Chain Collections: Lists NFT collections with extra details. Developers can easily access and show details of NFT collections, making the user experience better.

  • Get Historical Floor Prices for a Collection: Used to show a price floor chart for an NFT collection. Investors can track market trends and price changes over time.

  • Get Historical Volume for a Collection: Creates a chart showing transaction volume for an NFT collection. Investors and analysts can see how popular an NFT collection is over time.

  • Check Ownership in NFT Collection: Verifies ownership of NFTs in a collection. Users can trust that they really own NFTs in a specific collection.

  • Check Ownership in NFT Collection for Specific Token: Checks ownership of a specific token in a collection. Users can be sure they own a particular token in a collection.

Covalent's NFT API gives developers a powerful way to use NFTs, offering many useful features for the expanding world of blockchain assets. Whether it's tracking transactions, figuring out rarity, or making user interfaces better, Covalent's NFT API is a handy tool for the NFT world. These are just a few things you can do with Covalent's API in your project. For more guidance on how to use it, you can check out this documentation.

Get a Covalent API Key

Interacting with the Covalent Unified API requires that you have an account on the Covalent platform which gives you access to generating an API key for interacting with the API endpoints. Use the following guide to generate an API key:

Navigate to covalenthq. Click on the Signup for a free API key button.

On the sign up page, fill out the required input fields, check the Terms of Use checkbox, and click the Sign me up button.

After signing up, verify your email and login in your Covalent account. You will be asked to provide some information about yourself, fill out the input fields.


Once you have completed all the necessary onboarding/signup steps, go to covalenthq.com/platform to create your own API key. An API key will be created for you automatically, else, click the dropdown beside the Manage API keys button and click the Create button.

Now you have created an account on Covalent, and you also have an API key to interact with the Covalent unified API, you can proceed to building your project.

Conclusion

NFTs redefine digital ownership, offering unique, verifiable assets with profound implications for creators and collectors. NFT APIs act as essential bridges, simplifying access to NFT data across blockchains.

Covalent's NFT API empowers developers across 150+ blockchains, providing versatile tools for building marketplaces, portfolio trackers, and engaging applications. In conclusion, continued exploration and learning in the evolving NFT space and API technology promise exciting opportunities for innovation and growth.

References