Clear DefinitionsService Endpoint
1 min read
Pronunciation
[sur-vis en-point]
Analogy
Like the address of a restaurant where you go to request meals (API calls) and receive responses (data).
Definition
A network address (URL or socket) where a blockchain-related service—such as an API, RPC, or WebSocket—can be accessed.
Key Points Intro
Service endpoints expose application interfaces for blockchain interactions.
Key Points
Protocol: HTTP(S), WS, gRPC or JSON-RPC transports
Authentication: API keys, OAuth or JWT tokens
Rate limiting: protects against abuse and DoS
High availability: load balancing and failover
Example
Technical Deep Dive
Endpoints are fronted by API gateways (e.g., Kong, NGINX) enforcing TLS, CORS, rate limits, and authentication. WebSocket endpoints handle subscription streams with heartbeat and reconnection logic. Service meshes (e.g., Istio) manage routing, observability, and circuit breaking in microservice architectures.
Security Warning
Unsecured or misconfigured endpoints can leak sensitive data, enable unauthorized transactions, or become choke points under load.
Caveat
Reliance on third-party endpoints introduces external dependencies and potential single points of failure.
Service Endpoint - Related Articles
No related articles for this term.