Shape API Quickstart

Introduction

Shape is a chain for creators built on top of Ethereum. It's an open space where everyone is free to create, from fine art to experimental projects, fostering a unique cultural ecosystem. Shape offers creators the opportunity to claim back 80% of sequencer fees users spend interacting with their contracts, making it an attractive platform for innovative content creation.

What is the Shape API?

The Shape API allows interaction with the Shape network through a set of JSON-RPC methods. Its design is familiar to developers who have worked with Ethereum's JSON-RPC APIs, making it intuitive and straightforward to use.

Getting Started Instructions

1. Choose a Package Manager (npm or yarn)

Select a package manager to manage your project's dependencies. Choose between npm and yarn based on your preference or project requirements.

2. Set Up Your Project

Open your terminal and execute the following commands to create and initialize your project:

mkdir shape-api-quickstart
cd shape-api-quickstart
npm init --yes

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

This creates a new directory named shape-api-quickstart and initializes a Node.js project within it.

3. Make Your First Request

Install Axios, a popular HTTP client, to make API requests:

npm install axios
# Or with yarn
# yarn add axios

Create an index.js file in your project directory and paste the following code:

const axios = require('axios');

const url = `https://shape-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('Latest Block:', response.data.result);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error(error);
  });

4. Run Your Script

Execute your script to make a request to the Shape mainnet:

node index.js

You should see the latest block information from Shape's mainnet outputted to your console:

Latest Block: 0x...

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've made your first request to the Shape API on the mainnet. You can now explore the various JSON-RPC methods available on Shape and start building your creative projects on this innovative platform.