7 Best Crypto SDKs for Blockchain

Blockchain technology has revolutionized the digital landscape, offering unprecedented security, transparency, and efficiency. As blockchain adoption continues to surge, developers face the challenge of efficiently integrating blockchain networks into their applications.

Enter crypto Software Development Kits (SDKs). These powerful tools provide developers with libraries, tools, and APIs that simplify blockchain development. By abstracting the complexities of blockchain protocols, SDKs empower developers to focus on building robust applications without getting caught up in the intricacies of low-level blockchain interactions.

This blog post explores seven of the best crypto SDKs for blockchain development. By the end of this blog, you'll have a solid understanding of the tools that can accelerate your blockchain development journey. These crypto SDKs will be your trusted companions, simplifying the integration of blockchain networks and helping you unlock the full potential of this transformative technology.

What is an SDK?

An SDK, or "software development kit," is a collection of resources that assist developers in building applications for specific operating systems (OSs) or hardware devices. Each SDK is tailored to a particular platform and includes all the necessary tools for developers to start writing code for their apps.

There are numerous SDKs available, each designed for a specific platform. For example, the Android SDK is used for developing apps for Android-compatible devices, while the iOS SDK is used for building applications for Apple products. Microsoft provides .NET SDKs, widely used for developing on the Windows OS. To create an app for a specific platform, developers typically download the corresponding SDK, which may be free or require a fee.

Standard Components of SDKs

  1. Compiler : A compiler translates high-level programming languages such as Java or C++ into low-level binary code that computers can execute.
  2. Debugger: A debugger scans a developer's code to identify and remove potential errors or bugs before deploying the application.
  3. Libraries and code samples: SDKs often provide libraries, examples, guides, or predefined sequences to help developers follow the best coding practices on their platform.
  4. APIs: An API (application programming interface) bridges different software applications to exchange data. SDKs provide easy access to platform-specific APIs, allowing developers to leverage external services, analytics, and features.

SDKs Vs API

It's worth noting that APIs and SDKs are often confused but are distinct software tools. APIs act as connectors between software applications, enabling data exchange. On the other hand, SDKs encompass a broader set of resources, including APIs, to aid in application development.

For instance, Google uses the Weather Channel's API to display weather information when you search for it. Many businesses incorporate Google Maps' APIs to show their physical locations on websites. Cryptocurrency companies offer APIs for real-time price feeds and analytics. Cloud computing clients use APIs to extract data from Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.

While APIs are essential for inter-app communication, they provide only some of the necessary tools for application development. Therefore, APIs are just one component of an SDK. To build a complete application, developers require additional tools and resources provided within an SDK.

7 Best Crypto SDKs

  1. CoinAPI : CoinAPI is a provider of unified data APIs for cryptocurrency markets. It offers easy, quick, and reliable access to data through HTTP RESTful API, WebSocket, and FIX protocol. Its key features include:
  • Data standardization.
  • On-demand data retrieval.
  • SDKs in various programming languages.
  • A historical market data database of 20TB. CoinAPI's CDN enables users to connect to multiple locations instantly, ensuring fast and reliable data access. However, one drawback is the lack of unique IDs, leading to mixed-up coin symbols and incorrect dates.
  1. CoinMarketCap API: CoinMarketCap, the leading cryptocurrency ranking platform, offers a range of APIs. These APIs provide real-time market charts, specific currency data, and cryptocurrency listings. While the current Public API is scheduled to be closed, CoinMarketCap is introducing a more powerful version called the Professional API. The Professional API will include features such as live prices, Gainers/Losers data, social influence metrics, news, watchlists, snapshots, and whitepaper searches. Websites and tools must migrate to the new Professional version to continue using the API effectively. However, the Professional API may be more expensive compared to other options like Crypto APIs.
  2. Blockcypher API: Blockcypher offers a variety of APIs tailored to meet different needs. Their APIs cover blockchain, address, wallet, transaction, microtransaction, metadata, analysis, asset, and webhook functionalities. The blockchain API allows users to query blockchain and block data based on their chosen coin or chain resource. The Address API provides information about public addresses in CSV or HTML format.
  3. Coinbase API: Coinbase, a popular trading platform, provides APIs for integrating Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Ethereum into websites and applications. These APIs offer capabilities such as wallet and address creation, buying/selling and sending/receiving cryptocurrencies, real-time and historical price data retrieval, transaction notifications, and secure storage of supported cryptocurrencies. Coinbase's APIs enable e-commerce owners to accept multiple crypto payments through customizable checkout gateways, widgets, and APIs.
  4. CryptoTick: CryptoTick is a website that offers easy access to 40TB of historic market data from cryptocurrency markets. The data is timestamped in UTC, allowing for more accurate testing of trading algorithms. CryptoTick provides various types of processed data, including OHLCV time series derived from active market data (transactions).
  5. Infura APIs: Infura APIs provide access to the Ethereum network and a fast InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). Infura offers load-balanced nodes and smart architecture to store large amounts of data, with file hashes stored on Ethereum. Their APIs are secure, reliable, scalable, and easy to integrate using JSON RPC and Web3 interfaces. Infura's infrastructure helps prevent scalability issues for developers.
  6. Blockchain Webhooks: Blockchain Webhooks offers private hosting and management of full-node blockchain networks with customized webhooks. It provides a transparent service displaying all exchange data on a web URL. Webhooks are activated promptly after blockchain confirmations for transactions. HTTPS callbacks ensure higher security levels and accurate URL data entry. This webhook service provides reliable notifications for events occurring on specific blockchain addresses.

End note:

Developing applications for blockchain technology can be complex, but with the help of crypto SDKs (Software Development Kits), the process becomes much simpler. Crypto SDKs provide developers with essential resources such as tools, libraries, and APIs specifically designed for blockchain integration. These SDKs abstract the intricate details of blockchain protocols, allowing developers to focus on building robust applications without getting bogged down in low-level implementation. By leveraging the power of crypto SDKs, developers can accelerate their blockchain development journey and unlock the transformative potential of this technology.

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