Gnosis Chain Quickstart

To use the Gnosis Chain API you'll need to create a free Alchemy account first!

Introduction

Gnosis Chain (formerly xDai) is an EVM-compatible blockchain known for its stable and low-cost transactions. Designed to support the needs of decentralized applications (dApps), Gnosis Chain provides a reliable and efficient environment for deploying Ethereum-based applications.

What is the Gnosis Chain API?

The Gnosis Chain API facilitates interaction with the Gnosis Chain 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 Gnosis Chain 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 gnosis-api-quickstart
cd gnosis-api-quickstart
npm init --yes

mkdir gnosis-api-quickstart
cd gnosis-api-quickstart
yarn init --yes

This creates a new directory named gnosis-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 Gnosis Chain network:

const axios = require('axios');

const url = `https://gnosis-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${yourAPIKey}`;

const payload = {
  jsonrpc: '2.0',
  id: 1,
  method: 'eth_blockNumber',
  params: []
};

axios.post(url, payload)
  .then(response => {
    console.log('Block Number:', response.data.result);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error(error);
  });

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 Gnosis Chain, run:

node index.js

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

Block Number: 0x6d68e

Next Steps

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