Anvil API

Why Anvil API#

The Anvil API empowers developers to rapidly build and deploy Cardano blockchain applications through a unified, developer-friendly interface. Whether you're creating a wallet with multi-signature capabilities, minting and managing NFT collections, implementing governance features, or interacting with smart contracts, Anvil eliminates the need to master complex low-level Cardano specifications while providing enterprise-grade reliability and performance.

Key Benefits#

Reduced Complexity#

Anvil handles the detailed protocol specifics, enabling developers to create transactions and smart contracts without mastering low-level details.

  • Simple transaction building: Abstracted functions replace complex manual assembly.
  • Multi-signature support: Define required signatures for transactions to allow shared control over assets.
  • Accessible learning curve: Start building immediately, focusing on logic rather than specifications.
// Instead of complex manual transaction assembly,
// Anvil API lets you create transactions with a clean, simple interface
// The following example shows how to send ADA and assets to a single participant easily.
{
  outputs: [
    {
      address: "addr...",  // Destination address
      lovelace: 10000000, // Send 10 ADA
      assets: [ // Assets to send
        {
          policyId: "policy_id_here",
          assetName: "asset_name",
          quantity: 1
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  changeAddress: "addr..."  // Sender Address
}

Faster Wallet Integration#

Quickly integrate reliable transaction functionalities into wallets or payment apps.

  • Minimal coding effort: Achieve common tasks like ADA transfers, asset transfers, delegation, minting, staking, or smart contract interactions through simple API endpoints.
  • Reliable and tested: Consistent results reduce debugging and enhance product stability. Maintenance-free integration with automatic hard fork updates handled seamlessly.

Streamlined NFT Minting#

Efficiently mint NFTs through user-friendly "vending machine" style transactions and secure multisig minting capabilities.

  • Single-step minting: Automate complex NFT minting, metadata handling, and delivery through intuitive endpoints.
  • Scalable & robust: Supports both CIP-25 and CIP-68 token standards with minimal configuration.
// Simplified NFT minting without needing to understand the underlying protocols
{
  mint: [
    {
      type: "simple",
      version: "cip25",
      assetName: { name: "MyNFT", format: "utf8" },
      policyId: "policy_id_here",
      quantity: 1,
      metadata: {
        name: "My NFT",
        description: "My first NFT minted with Anvil API",
        image: "ipfs://..."
      }
    }
  ]
}

Smart Contract Simplification#

Interact with Cardano smart contracts without deep Plutus knowledge.

  • Validator blueprints: Use CIP-57 compliant blueprints to easily create and interact with Plutus scripts.
  • Automated datum handling: Parse, construct, and validate complex Plutus data types with ease.
  • Contract evaluation: Test your smart contract logic before deployment to ensure correct behavior.
// Easy validation of Plutus contract data
// Instead of manual CBOR encoding/decoding
{
  hash: "validator_hash",
  type: "datum",
  purpose: "spend",
  data: { hex: "your_datum_hex" }
}

Automatic Protocol Updates#

Anvil stays updated with Cardano's protocol changes, eliminating maintenance burdens.

  • Zero downtime upgrades: Continuous compatibility with the latest Cardano updates.
  • Maintenance-free: Focus on feature development instead of ongoing technical upkeep.

Features#

Anvil API provides a comprehensive set of features to support your Cardano development needs:

  1. Multi-output Transaction Building: Create complex transactions with multiple recipients
  2. Multi-signature Support: Governance and shared control over assets with ease
  3. Token Minting: Handles minting, editing, and burning for CIP-25 and CIP-68 tokens
  4. Staking Operations: Streamlined delegations and certificates to stake pools and DReps
  5. Rewards Management: Simplified reward withdrawal process
  6. Governance Support: Delegate to DReps for voting in Cardano's governance system
  7. Transaction Optimization: Automatic balancing and fee optimization
  8. Script Management: Simplified on-chain script uploading
  9. Smart Contract Integration: Contract evaluation and interaction via CIP-57 blueprints
  10. Language Agnostic API: Build with your preferred technology stack through flexible API endpoints
  11. Multiple Protocol Support: Choose between RESTful API and tRPC interfaces based on your development needs

Next Steps#

Ready to build with Anvil API? Choose your path:

New to Cardano?:

Cardano Basics Guide

If you are a developer familiar with Cardano:

Build Your First Transaction

Anvil API Fees