Overview
The RockX Cardano API is a hosted node service that lets developers connect their apps to Cardano without running a Cardano node themselves. A node is a computer that keeps a copy of the blockchain and passes requests to the network. RockX runs and maintains that node, and builders reach it with an API key, a private code an app attaches to each request so RockX knows which account is calling1. A free plan covers testing and small projects, while paid plans and private nodes serve heavier use.
The service is the Cardano part of RockX AccessNode, a node access product covering 20 or more blockchains2. Ethereum-compatible chains on AccessNode use Ethereum's request format, while Cardano is reached through its own native interface2. RockX is headquartered in Singapore3 and has run staking and node infrastructure for institutions since 20194. The company raised a $6 million Series A funding round led by Amber Group in April 20225.
Key Features
- No server to set up or maintain. RockX hosts the Cardano node and keeps it running, so a team can start building on Cardano without installing or updating node software1.
- A free plan for trying things out. The Free plan allows 300,000 requests per 30 days, up to 10,000 a day and 25 per second, where a request is one call from an app to the node1.
- Room to grow on paid plans. The Growth plan costs $49 per 30 days for 24 million requests at up to 100 per second, and Mini or Large add-ons can be stacked when a project needs more daily requests1.
- A private node for busy apps. Dedicated full or archive nodes are set aside for one customer, with no shared daily request limits and direct support. An archive node also keeps the chain's full history of past states1.
- Control over who can use your keys. Accounts can create up to 10 API keys per chain and data type, and each key can be locked to chosen website domains and up to 10 IP addresses, the network addresses of approved servers1.
What to Expect
Developers sign in to RockX, choose Cardano and a plan, and receive an API key, as the official walkthrough video shows6. A dashboard then shows request usage and lets you manage keys1. Plans draw on an account balance that users top up1. Subscriptions renew from it every 30 days unless auto-renewal is switched off, and expired keys can be reactivated after a top-up1.
The AccessNode page says Cardano requests go through Ogmios, a lightweight interface that lets apps talk to a Cardano node using simple structured messages2. Older pages in the RockX documentation manual also cover a Cardano GraphQL endpoint, a query style where the app asks for exactly the data fields it needs, such as the latest block and epoch, the roughly five-day period Cardano uses to group blocks7. An older Wallet section covers submitting transactions that were signed elsewhere, so an app can send them to the network8.
Organizations that need guaranteed capacity, such as wallets, games or DeFi apps, can contact RockX about dedicated nodes or custom plans1. RockX also offers an MCP server, a connection that lets AI assistants such as Claude or Cursor manage an account's keys and usage in plain language2. A public status page lists a Cardano component alongside RockX's other networks9. Teams that would rather run their own infrastructure can compare Cardano node software instead.
