@hirosystems/stacks-blockchain-api

Quick start

A self-contained Docker image is provided, which starts a Stacks 2.05 blockchain and API instance.

Ensure Docker is installed, then run the command:

docker run -p 3999:3999 hirosystems/stacks-blockchain-api-standalone

Similarly, a "mocknet" instance can be started. This runs a local node, isolated from the testnet/mainnet:

docker run -p 3999:3999 -e STACKS_NETWORK=mocknet hirosystems/stacks-blockchain-api-standalone

Once the blockchain has synced with the network, the API will be available at: http://localhost:3999

Development quick start

First, ensure Docker is installed on your machine.

Clone repo and install dependencies with npm install.

Run npm run dev:integrated.

This command will concurrently start the API server app and the service dependencies.

Check to see if the server started successfully by visiting http://localhost:3999/extended/v1/status

Local Development

Setup Services

Then run npm run devenv:deploy, which uses docker-compose to deploy the service dependencies (e.g., PostgreSQL, Stacks core node, etc.)

Running the server

To run the server in 'watch' mode (restart for every code change), run npm run dev:watch. You'll have a server on port 3999.

Architecture

See overview.md for architecture details.

Deployment

We recommend running the API database on PostgreSQL version 14 or newer for optimal performance.

Upgrading

If upgrading the API to a new major version (e.g., 3.0.0 to 4.0.0), then the Postgres database from the previous version will not be compatible, and the process will fail to start.

Event Replay must be used when upgrading major versions. Follow the event replay instructions below. Failure to do so will require wiping the Stacks Blockchain chain state data and the API Postgres database and re-syncing from scratch.

API Run Modes

The API supports a series of run modes, each accommodating different use cases for scaling and data access by toggling architecture components on or off, depending on its objective.

Default mode (Read-write)

The default mode runs with all components enabled. It consumes events from a Stacks node, writes them to a Postgres database, and serves API endpoints.

Write-only mode

During Write-only mode, the API only runs the Stacks node events server to populate the Postgres database, but it does not serve any API endpoints.

This mode is very useful when you need to consume blockchain data from the Postgres database directly, and you're not interested in taking on the overhead of running an API web server.

For write-only mode, set the environment variable STACKS_API_MODE=writeonly.

Read-only mode

During Read-only mode, the API runs without an internal event server that listens to events from a Stacks node. The API only reads data from the connected Postgres database when building endpoint responses. In order to keep serving updated blockchain data, this mode requires the presence of another API instance that keeps writing stacks-node events to the same database.

This mode is very useful when building an environment that load-balances incoming HTTP requests between multiple API instances that can be scaled up and down quickly. Read-only instances support WebSockets and socket.io clients.

For read-only mode, set the environment variable STACKS_API_MODE=readonly.

Offline mode

In Offline mode, the app runs without a stacks-node or Postgres connection. In this mode, only the given rosetta endpoints are supported: https://www.rosetta-api.org/docs/node_deployment.html#offline-mode-endpoints.

For running offline mode, set an environment variable STACKS_API_MODE=offline

Event Replay

The stacks-node is only able to emit events live as they happen. This poses a problem in the scenario where the stacks-blockchain-API needs to be upgraded, and its database cannot be migrated to a new schema. One way to handle this upgrade is to wipe the stacks-blockchain-api's database and stacks-node working directory and re-sync from scratch.

Alternatively, an event-replay feature is available where the API records the HTTP POST requests from the stacks-node event emitter, then streams these events back to itself. Essentially simulating a wipe & full re-sync, but much quicker.

The feature can be used via program args. For example, if there are breaking changes in the APIs SQL schema, like adding a new column that requires events to be re-played, the following steps could be run:

Event Replay Instructions

V1 BNS Data

Optional but recommended - If you want the V1 BNS data, there are going to be a few extra steps:

1. Download BNS data:

   curl -L https://storage.googleapis.com/blockstack-v1-migration-data/export-data.tar.gz -o /stacks-node/bns/export-data.tar.gz

2. Extract it:

   tar -xzvf ./bns/export-data.tar.gz -C /stacks-node/bns/

3. Each file in ./bns will have a corresponding sha256 value. To Verify, run a script like the following to check the sha256sum:

   for file in `ls /stacks-node/bns/* | grep -v sha256 | grep -v .tar.gz`; do
       if [ $(sha256sum $file | awk {'print $1'}) == $(cat ${file}.sha256 ) ]; then
           echo "sha256 Matched $file"
       else
           echo "sha256 Mismatch $file"
       fi
   done

4. Set the data's location as the value of BNS_IMPORT_DIR in your .env file.

Export and Import

1. Ensure the API process is not running. When stopping the API, let the process exit gracefully so that any in-progress SQL writes can finish.

2. Export event data to disk with the export-events command:

   node ./lib/index.js export-events --file /tmp/stacks-node-events.tsv

3. Update to the new stacks-blockchain-api version.

4. Perform the event playback using the import-events command:

   WARNING: This will drop all tables from the configured Postgres database, including any tables not automatically added by the API.

   node ./lib/index.js import-events --file /tmp/stacks-node-events.tsv --wipe-db --force

   This command has two modes of operation, specified by the --mode option:

   • archival (default): The process will import and ingest all blockchain events that have happened since the first block.
   • pruned: The import process will ignore some prunable events (mempool, microblocks) until the import block height has reached chain tip - 256 blocks. This saves considerable time during import but sacrifices some historical data. You can use this mode if you're mostly interested in running an API that prioritizes real-time information.

Bugs and feature requests

If you encounter a bug or have a feature request, we encourage you to follow the steps below:

1. Search for existing issues: Before submitting a new issue, please search existing and closed issues to check if a similar problem or feature request has already been reported.
2. Open a new issue: If it hasn't been addressed, please open a new issue. Choose the appropriate issue template and provide as much detail as possible, including steps to reproduce the bug or a clear description of the requested feature.
3. Evaluation SLA: Our team reads and evaluates all the issues and pull requests. We are available Monday to Friday and make our best effort to respond within 7 business days.

Please do not use the issue tracker for personal support requests or to ask for the status of a transaction. You'll find help at the #support Discord channel.

Contribute

Development of this product happens in the open on GitHub, and we are grateful to the community for contributing bug fixes and improvements. Read below to learn how you can take part in improving the product.

Code of Conduct

Please read our Code of Conduct since we expect project participants to adhere to it.

Contributing Guide

Read our contributing guide to learn about our development process, how to propose bug fixes and improvements, and how to build and test your changes.

Community

Join our community and stay connected with the latest updates and discussions:

• Join our Discord community chat to engage with other users, ask questions, and participate in discussions.

• Visit hiro.so for updates and subcribing to the mailing list.

• Follow Hiro on Twitter.

Client library

You can use the Stacks Blockchain API Client library if you need to call the API via JavaScript or receive real-time updates via WebSockets or Socket.io. Learn more here.