bch-api/README.md

# BCH API

This is a fork and alternative implementation of
the [rest.bitcoin.com](https://github.com/Bitcoin-com/rest.bitcoin.com) repository.
The function of this code is to create a REST API server to provide a common
interface for working with a BCH full node and various indexers.
This repository is intended to be used for my own personal use, but it's licensed
under the MIT license like the original rest repo was, so people are free to use
it and modify it as they see fit.

This repository is intended to be paired with my alternative implementation
of [BITBOX SDK](https://github.com/Bitcoin-com/bitbox-sdk):
[BITBOX JS](https://github.com/christroutner/bitbox-js).

Here is a YouTube video explaining the use of BITBOX and this REST API:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FfW5rZPFs

Since this repo is being worked on by one person, as a hobby, updates will be
slow. But the road map I have planned is as follows:

- Remove TypeScript and any other compiled languages, converting the repository
to standard ES8 JavaScript.

- Replace the requirement for Insight API with Blockbook API for address and
utxo based calls.

- Audit all npm dependencies and try to fix/remove any vulnerabilities.

- Remove rate limiting.

- Setup automated dependency management through Greenkeeper, and automated
continuous-release with semantic versioning through Semantic Release.

- Ensure all unit and integration tests are passing.

- Update SLP token endpoints. Not totally sure of the scope here.

- Add end-to-end tests.

----

## REST

[rest.bitcoin.com](https://rest.bitcoin.com) is the REST layer for Bitcoin.com's Cloud.

More info: [developer.bitcoin.com](https://developer.bitcoin.com). Chatroom [http://geni.us/CashDev](geni.us/CashDev)

Testnet available at [trest.bitcoin.com](https://trest.bitcoin.com)

## Usage

You can also run an instance of REST for your own full node.

### Prerequisites

#### NodeJS

Install nodejs's LTS. 8.11.4 at the time of writing.

https://nodejs.org/en/

#### build-essential package

If you encounter

```
gyp ERR! build error
gyp ERR! stack Error: not found: make
```

For Ubuntu

```
sudo apt-get install build-essential
```

For CENTOS

```
RUN yum install -y make gcc*
```

### Full node

Fire up a full Bitcoin Cash node and add the following to your `bitcoin.conf`.

```
# Accept command line and JSON-RPC commands.
server=1

# Username for JSON-RPC connections
rpcuser=rpcUsername

# Password for JSON-RPC connections
rpcpassword=rpcPasssword

# If you're running REST on a different host than bitcoind's localhost
# rpcallowip=*
# Or you can restrict by IP or range of IPs
# rpcallowip=192.168.1.*

# Enable zeromq for real-time data
zmqpubrawtx=tcp://your.nodes.ip.address:28332
zmqpubrawblock=tcp://your.nodes.ip.address:28332
zmqpubhashtx=tcp://your.nodes.ip.address:28332
zmqpubhashblock=tcp://your.nodes.ip.address:28332
```

Also allow tcp requests on port `28332`

```
sudo ufw allow 28332
```

### Clone the repo

Next clone the rest.bitcoin.com repo.

```
git clone https://github.com/Bitcoin-com/rest.bitcoin.com.git
```

#### Install dependencies

`cd` into the newly cloned directory and install the dependencies.

```
cd rest.bitcoin.com
npm install
```

#### Build REST

```bash
npm run build
```

#### Start REST

Now you need to start REST and pass in the following environment variables

- BITCOINCOM_BASEURL - On rest.bitcoin.com this env var is to our internal insight API. You can use insight's public API.
- RPC_BASEURL - The IP address of your full BCH node
- RPC_PASSWORD - The rpc password of your full BCH node
- RPC_USERNAME - The rpc username of your full BCH node
- ZEROMQ_PORT - The port on which you enabled ZeroMQ
- ZEROMQ_URL - The IP address of your full BCH node
- NETWORK - mainnet or testnet depending on which network you're using
- BITDB_URL - mainnet or testnet BITDB URL
- SLPDB_URL - mainnet or testnet SLPDB URL
- RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS (optional) - Rate limit per route per minute. Defaults to 60. Set to 0 to disable rate limit.
- NON_JS_FRAMEWORK (optional) - enables endpoints to create, mint, send, burn and burnAll SLP tokens

Here's how the final command would look

```
BITCOINCOM_BASEURL=https://bch-insight.bitpay.com/api/ RPC_BASEURL=http://your.nodes.ip.address:8332/ RPC_PASSWORD=rpcPasssword RPC_USERNAME=rpcUsername ZEROMQ_PORT=28332 ZEROMQ_URL=your.nodes.ip.address BITDB_URL=https://bitdb.bitcoin.com/ SLPDB_URL=https://slpdb.bitcoin.com/ NETWORK=mainnet npm run dev
```

Starting in the regtest mode (partly working since the bitcoincom_baseurl does not work with local nodes):

```bash
PORT=3000 BITCOINCOM_BASEURL=http://localhost:3000/api/ RPC_BASEURL=http://localhost:18332/ RPC_PASSWORD=regtest RPC_USERNAME=regtest ZEROMQ_PORT=0 ZEROMQ_URL=0 NETWORK=local npm start
```

#### View in browser

Finally open `http://localhost:3000/` and confirm you see the GUI

[![Greenkeeper badge](https://badges.greenkeeper.io/Bitcoin.com/rest.bitcoin.com.svg)](https://greenkeeper.io/)

deploy