API3
First-party oracle that returns oracle extractable value (OEV) to the DeFi apps using its feeds.
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API3 key facts
| Category | Blockchain oracle |
|---|---|
| Chains | EVM networks |
| Platforms | Web, API |
| Token | API3 |
| Fees | Feeds sold at cost as 3-month mainnet plans on Api3 Market; 80% of OEV revenue paid back to the dApp |
| US availability | Available: terms restrict only sanctioned jurisdictions |
API3 token
- Price
- $0.2312 +0.6% 24h
- Market cap
- $38M
- Fully diluted value
- $46.2M
- 30-day change
- -23.8%
Market data: CoinGecko, updated Nov 10, 2026. Educational content, not financial advice.
What is API3?
API3 is an oracle network built on first-party data feeds. Its main feature is OEV Rewards: value that liquidators pay for price updates is returned to the lending protocol. Api3 pays 80% of that OEV revenue to the app, and its homepage lists early adopters including Morpho, Compound and Moonwell.
How API3 works
Api3 data feeds are first-party: each API provider signs its own data and powers a single-source feed, and the Api3 feed is an onchain median of those individual feeds.
Contracts read the value through an Api3ReaderProxyV1 contract, which can be called through AggregatorV2V3Interface, though it does not implement the round-related functions, so Api3 says contracts that depend on round IDs or past rounds should use its own IApi3ReaderProxy interface instead. A 4-of-4 multisig of Api3 team members approves which API providers feed each data feed.
Updates fire on two triggers: a deviation threshold of 5%, 2.5%, 1%, 0.5% or 0.25%, and a 24-hour heartbeat that Api3 sends 2 minutes early. The second product is OEV Rewards. Searchers bid for the right to act first on a price update, and at the end of each month Api3 pays 80% of that revenue to the dApp in the native gas token of its chain, keeping the rest as a protocol fee.
How to start with API3
- Developers buy feeds on Api3 Market without a sales call or signed contract.
- Mainnet plans last 3 months and testnet plans 7 days, and when a plan expires its update parameters stop being upheld.
- Buying the same feed again before expiry extends it at a discount.
- To receive OEV Rewards, a team fills out Api3's contact form, lists its chains and feeds, gives a payout address that can receive native currency, and integrates the OEV-enabled proxy contracts.
- If a gas grant applies, Api3 buys the subscriptions itself.
API3 fees and limits
- On the income side, the dApp receives 80% of OEV auction revenue as a monthly payment in the chain's native token, and Api3 keeps 20%.
Api3 says it provides data feeds at cost. A plan costs more as the deviation threshold gets tighter, because a lower threshold needs more frequent onchain updates, and there is only one heartbeat option.
Risks to know before using API3
- Api3ReaderProxyV1 is UUPS-upgradeable by a 4-of-8 multisig held by Api3 technical team members, which Api3 says is reserved for responding to vulnerabilities or migrating users to new contracts.
- Api3 states its feeds have never misreported or had an outage.
- It also warns that it does not check whether an update was strictly needed, and that a value can be older than the heartbeat, so your contract must handle that case.
- For use cases that need different update behavior, Api3 advises against its feeds.
API3 usage
From DefiLlama (TVL) (fees users paid), updated Nov 10, 2026.
API3 alternatives
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Where API3 ranks on DappAtlas
API3 pros and cons
- Returns oracle extractable value to the app that uses the feed
- 100+ data feeds on every supported chain, per its homepage
- Early OEV users include Compound, Morpho and Moonwell
- Api3 Market offers only a 24-hour heartbeat and deviation thresholds from 0.25% to 5%
- Feed coverage centers on lending-market prices
API3 FAQ
What is API3?
API3 is an oracle network built on first-party data feeds. Its main feature is OEV Rewards: value that liquidators pay for price updates is returned to the lending protocol. Api3 pays 80% of that OEV revenue to the app, and its homepage lists early adopters including Morpho, Compound and Moonwell.
How much value is locked in API3?
$13.9M according to DefiLlama on Nov 10, 2026. It is deployed on 2 chains: Ethereum, Base.
How much does API3 cost?
Feeds sold at cost as 3-month mainnet plans on Api3 Market; 80% of OEV revenue paid back to the dApp, according to API3’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026).
How much do users pay API3 in fees?
$165,632 over the last 30 days, according to DefiLlama on Nov 10, 2026.
Does API3 have a token?
Yes, API3. Its market cap was $38M on CoinGecko on Nov 10, 2026. Educational content, not financial advice.
Is API3 available in the US?
Available: terms restrict only sanctioned jurisdictions, according to API3’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026).
Sources
How this page works
Sources: API3: official site, API3: Home, Api3 Docs: Using Api3 Market. Data as of Sep 26, 2026.
Not affiliated with any project listed. Educational content, not financial advice.