Get started building on Unichain and using the JSON-RPC API
Introduction
Unichain is a DeFi-native Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain, designed to be the home for liquidity across chains. It offers faster and cheaper transactions while supporting cross-chain liquidity.
Please note that we currently only support Unichain Sepolia testnet RPC
What is the Unichain API?
The Unichain API allows interaction with the Unichain 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.
npm | yarn |
---|---|
Begin with npm by following the npm documentation. | For yarn , refer to yarn's installation guide. |
2. Set Up Your Project
Open your terminal and execute the following commands to create and initialize your project:
mkdir unichain-api-quickstart
cd unichain-api-quickstart
npm init --yes
mkdir unichain-api-quickstart
cd unichain-api-quickstart
yarn init --yes
This creates a new directory named unichain-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://unichain-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/${your-api-key}';
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 Unichain Sepolia testnet:
node index.js
You should see the latest block information from Unichain's Sepolia testnet outputted to your console:
Latest Block: 0x...
Next Steps
Congratulations! You've made your first request to the Unichain API on the Sepolia testnet. You can now explore the various JSON-RPC methods available on Unichain and start building your dApps on this innovative platform.