Overview
Quicknode provides APIs that allow developers, AI agents, and LLM-powered applications to interact with blockchain infrastructure and manage application infrastructure programmatically. These APIs expose blockchain data, real-time event pipelines, storage services, and infrastructure management capabilities.
- All Quicknode APIs use standard protocols (HTTP, JSON-RPC, REST, gRPC, WebSocket); any AI agent can call them directly
- Agents have two ways to access Quicknode with just a funded wallet:
- Pay per request (or via credits): Use x402 or MPP to call Core API blockchain endpoints with no account, paying per call or drawing down a credit balance
- Create a full account: Use Agent Subscriptions to pay via x402 or MPP and instantly receive a full platform API key, unlocking the full Quicknode product suite (RPC endpoints, Streams, Webhooks, SQL Explorer, Key-Value Store, Admin API) on a plan
- Use LLM-Optimized Docs for discovery, Blockchain Skills for accurate API knowledge, and Quicknode MCP to manage infrastructure through natural language
Quicknode APIs
All Quicknode product APIs are standard HTTP, JSON-RPC, REST, gRPC, and WebSocket endpoints that any client, including AI agents, can call directly:
- Core API: Read blockchain data, submit transactions, and query contract state across all supported networks via RPC, REST, and gRPC.
- Streams API: Create and manage real-time blockchain data pipelines for event indexing, analytics, and monitoring.
- Webhooks API: Configure event-driven notifications triggered by specific onchain activity.
- SQL Explorer API: Run SQL queries against indexed onchain data via REST.
- Key-Value Store API: Read and write application state with lightweight serverless storage.
- Admin API: Programmatically manage endpoints, usage, security, billing, and team permissions.
- IPFS API: Pin and retrieve files on IPFS through the Quicknode gateway.
AI Agent Capabilities
AI agents typically interact with Quicknode APIs using a combination of tools that help them discover documentation, generate correct requests, authenticate access, and manage infrastructure.
| Capability | Tool | What it enables |
|---|---|---|
| Discover APIs | LLM-Optimized Docs | Find the correct Quicknode documentation and API methods |
| Learn APIs | Blockchain Skills | Generate correct Quicknode API requests and code |
| Authenticate | API Key / Agentic Payments (x402, MPP) | Make requests to Quicknode infrastructure |
| Manage Infrastructure | Quicknode MCP | Manage endpoints and infrastructure using the Admin API |
| Provision Infrastructure | Agent Subscriptions | Pay via x402/MPP to create a Quicknode account, receive a full platform API key, and access the full platform |
Discover APIs with LLM-Optimized Docs
Quicknode publishes LLM-optimized documentation indexes (llms.txt) across the platform. These indexes allow AI systems to locate relevant documentation for RPC methods, API parameters, infrastructure configuration, product guides, and sample applications.
Agents can reference these indexes to quickly find the correct documentation.
Generate API Requests with Blockchain Skills
Blockchain Skills provides structured knowledge of Quicknode APIs for AI coding agents. Without it, agents may generate outdated RPC methods, use incorrect parameters, or miss Quicknode-specific capabilities.
npx skills add quiknode-labs/blockchain-skills
Skills complements LLM-optimized docs by providing reliable API usage patterns without expanding the context window.
Authenticate Requests to Quicknode APIs
Applications and agents can authenticate requests to Quicknode APIs using either an API key or agentic payment protocols (x402 and MPP).
API Key (Account-Based Access)
API keys authenticate requests associated with a Quicknode account. This is the standard access model for interacting with Quicknode's REST APIs based on pricing plans and provides access to all product APIs listed above.
Agentic Payments (x402 and MPP)
Quicknode supports two wallet-based payment protocols that provide access to Core API (all blockchain endpoints, including RPC, REST, gRPC, and WebSocket) with no account required. Both handle payment negotiation automatically via their respective client SDKs.
- x402: Open standard by Coinbase. Supports pay-per-request and credit drawdown access patterns.
- MPP: IETF Internet-Draft by Tempo Labs and Stripe. Supports charge and session-based access patterns.
Agent Subscriptions (Full Platform Access)
The Agent Subscription API creates a Quicknode account and activates a subscription in a single payment request using x402 or MPP. The response returns a full platform API key (QN_*) that provides programmatic access to the full Quicknode platform, the same as signing up through the dashboard and purchasing a plan. This is ideal for agents that want to manage infrastructure, monitor usage, or access non-blockchain APIs like Streams, Webhooks, Key-Value Store, and Admin API.
This is an alternative to creating an account through the dashboard. The x402 and MPP payment protocols used for per-request RPC access can also create a persistent account subscription.
Manage Infrastructure with Quicknode MCP
Quicknode MCP (Model Context Protocol) enables AI assistants to manage Quicknode infrastructure through natural language. MCP operates on top of the Admin API, translating natural language instructions into API operations for creating endpoints, monitoring usage, configuring security, and managing billing.
Agents can perform tasks such as:
- creating endpoints
- monitoring usage
- configuring security settings
- managing teams and billing
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