M
API Matrix

Etherscan API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Blockchain / API Key Intermediate HTTPS CORS
Varies by plan (check documentation)
87 Score
Grade A
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Overview

Etherscan's API gives programmatic access to Ethereum blockchain data — account balances, transaction histories, token transfers, smart contract ABIs, and gas prices. It's the go-to source for on-chain data without running your own node.

💡

Beginner Tip

The free tier allows up to 5 calls/second and 100,000 calls/day — more than enough to start; register at etherscan.io/apis to get your free key.

Available Data

Use case: Integrate ethereum explorer api data into web and mobile applications
Etherscan data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Requires API key authentication

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "id": "bitcoin",
  "symbol": "btc",
  "current_price": 65432.1,
  "market_cap": 1280000000000,
  "price_change_24h": 1250.5,
  "price_change_percentage_24h": 1.95,
  "total_volume": 28500000000
}

Field Reference

status '1' means the request succeeded; '0' indicates an error — check the message field for details.
message Human-readable status, typically 'OK' on success or an error description on failure.
result The actual data returned — a string for simple queries (e.g. balance in Wei) or an array of objects for lists.

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://etherscan.io/apis";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
  "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
  }
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

NOTOK – Invalid API Key API key is missing, incorrect, or not yet activated
✓ Append '&apikey=YOUR_KEY' to every request URL; keys activate immediately after registration at etherscan.io/myaccount.
Max rate limit reached Exceeding 5 requests per second on the free plan
✓ Add a delay between requests or use Promise queuing; consider upgrading to a paid plan for higher throughput.
Result is 'Error! Invalid address format' Ethereum address is not checksummed or is malformed
✓ Use all-lowercase or EIP-55 checksummed addresses; verify the address is exactly 42 characters including the '0x' prefix.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 15/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 17/20
✓ Reliability 10/15

Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth API Key
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS YES
Category Blockchain
Difficulty Intermediate
Verified: 2026-04-04

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