API

Shield provides a Bitcoin Core compatible JSON-RPC API designed for submitting transactions directly to mining pools, bypassing the public mempool.

API Design Philosophy

Shield's API follows these key principles:

1. Bitcoin Core Compatibility: Uses the familiar Bitcoin Core JSON-RPC format

2. Simplicity: Focuses on core functionality with minimal endpoints

3. Performance: Optimized for high throughput and low latency

4. Reliability: Designed for production use with robust error handling

Base URL

All API requests should be made to:

https://shield.rebarlabs.io/v1

Available Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/info	GET	Returns payment and fee information
/rpc	POST	Bitcoin Core compatible JSON-RPC endpoint
/txstatus	GET	Transaction status in Shield's mempool

Response Format

Shield API responses follow standard HTTP conventions:

• Success responses have 2xx status codes

• Error responses have appropriate 4xx or 5xx status codes

• JSON responses include proper content-type headers

For the JSON-RPC endpoint (/rpc), responses follow the Bitcoin Core JSON-RPC format:

{
    "result": [result],
    "error": null,
    "id": "shield"
}

Or for errors:

{
    "result": null,
    "error": {
        "code": -25,
        "message": "Fee not paid to Shield"
    },
    "id": "shield"
}

Next Steps

• See Authentication for details on API access

• Check Endpoints Reference for detailed endpoint documentation

• Review Rate Limits & Quotas for usage limitations