---
title: "2. Radix APIs"
path: "/developers/infrastructure/02-radix-apis"
version: "1.2.0"
author: "Hydrate"
createdAt: "2026-02-22T18:06:07.576Z"
updatedAt: "2026-03-16T18:25:47.451Z"
---

# 2. Radix APIs

<Infobox>
| **Radix APIs** |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Est. Time | 15 minutes |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Language | TypeScript / HTTP |
| Gateway Spec | [Gateway API Reference](https://radix-babylon-gateway-api.redoc.ly/) |
| Core Spec | [Core API Reference](https://radix-babylon-core-api.redoc.ly/) |
</Infobox>

## API Overview

Radix exposes four APIs at different abstraction levels. Most developers only need the **[Gateway API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/gateway-api)**.

| API | Purpose | Best For | Access |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Gateway** | High-level ledger queries and transaction submission | dApps, wallets, explorers | Public endpoints |
| **Core** | Low-level transaction and state data from nodes | Exchanges, analytics, integrators | Private / self-hosted |
| **Engine State** | Complete current ledger state at engine level | Advanced state queries | Self-hosted (requires node config) |
| **System** | Node health and diagnostics | Node operators | Local only |

## [Gateway API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/gateway-api)

The [Gateway API](https://radix-babylon-gateway-api.redoc.ly/) is the primary interface for dApp developers. It provides entity state queries, transaction submission, stream queries, and historical state access — all via JSON POST requests with cursor-based pagination.

### Official Endpoints

| Network | URL |
| --- | --- |
| Mainnet | `https://mainnet.radixdlt.com` |
| Stokenet | `https://stokenet.radixdlt.com` |

These are rate-limited by IP. For production dApps, use a third-party provider or [run your own Gateway](/developers/infrastructure/01-running-a-node).

### Key Endpoint Groups

- `/state/*` — entity details, resource balances, metadata, vault contents
- `/transaction/*` — submit, preview, and check transaction status
- `/stream/transactions` — query committed transactions with filters
- `/status/gateway-status` — current ledger state version and epoch
Use the [Gateway SDK](/developers/frontend/02-gateway-sdk) (`@radixdlt/babylon-gateway-api-sdk`) for typed TypeScript access.

## [Core API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/core-api)

The [Core API](https://radix-babylon-core-api.redoc.ly/) gives direct access to a node's view of the ledger — transaction-level detail, raw state, and streaming committed transactions. It includes an **LTS (Long-Term Support) sub-API** designed for exchange integrators.

### LTS Endpoints

- `/lts/transaction/submit` — submit a notarized transaction
- `/lts/transaction/status` — check transaction status by intent hash
- `/lts/state/account-all-fungible-resource-balances` — all token balances for an account
- `/lts/transaction/construction` — get current epoch for building transactions
The [Core API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/core-api-providers) requires running your own node. Third-party providers include [Grove](https://portal.grove.city) (free tier: 5M requests/day) and [NowNodes](https://nownodes.io).

## Engine State and System APIs

### Engine State API

Provides complete current state at the [Radix Engine](/developers/legacy-docs/reference/radix-engine/radix-engine) abstraction level. More comprehensive than [Core API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/core-api) state queries but requires explicit node configuration (available since node v1.1.3.1). Useful for advanced state inspection without running a full Gateway.

### System API

Node diagnostics only — health checks, connection info, performance metrics. Used for monitoring, not application development.

## Which API Should I Use?

| Use Case | API |
| --- | --- |
| Frontend dApp reading account state | [Gateway SDK](/developers/frontend/02-gateway-sdk) |
| Submitting transactions from dApp | Gateway (via [dApp Toolkit](/developers/frontend/01-radix-dapp-toolkit)) |
| Exchange integration (deposits, withdrawals) | [Core API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/core-api) (LTS endpoints) |
| Indexing / analytics pipeline | [Core API](https://docs.radixdlt.com/docs/core-api-providers) (streaming) |
| Node health monitoring | System API |

## External Links

- [Gateway API reference](https://radix-babylon-gateway-api.redoc.ly/)
- [Core API reference](https://radix-babylon-core-api.redoc.ly/)
- [Gateway API providers](/developers/legacy-docs/integrate/network-apis/gateway-api-providers)
- [Core API providers](/developers/legacy-docs/integrate/network-apis/core-api-providers)
- [API comparison (Learn Radix)](https://learn.radixdlt.com/article/what-apis-are-relevant-to-the-radix-public-network)