Node as a Service Phase 2 Release
Introduction
The LinkPool team is excited to release the first major update to naas.link. This release focuses on expanding network coverage for Chainlink nodes, and the availability of External Adapters. For developers looking to build with Chainlink, naas.link creates an easy solution to deploy and operate Chainlink nodes, and connect to any data source with just a few clicks. Today’s update dramatically expands NaaS’s functionality, and creates opportunities for developers and data providers who are looking to build and ship solutions powered by Chainlink.
Network Support
Chainlink nodes can now be easily deployed on nine different networks. Support has been added to naas.link for Arbitrum and Optimism layer 2 testnets, as well as support for Avalanche, Binance Smart Chain, Polygon (Matic), and HECO testnets. These new networks join existing support for the Kovan, Goerli, and Rinkeby testnets on Ethereum.
In making these additional networks available, coverage has been expanded to the networks where Chainlink is most widely used. With just a few clicks, developers can deploy a Chainlink node, which is instantly connected to LinkPool’s dedicated blockchain full node infrastructure.
Chainlink nodes deployed on any testnet remain free, so developers can continue to build the next generation of smart contracts using Chainlink.
External Adapters Now Available
We’re happy to deliver our most requested feature — External Adapters for Chainlink nodes. NaaS users can now select from over 100 pre-built adapters, providing easy access to real-world data. Originating from the official Chainlink monorepo, developers can now seamlessly integrate the same permissioned high quality data sources that are used to power Chainlink price feeds, securing over $60 Billion of value across DeFi.
External Adapters at naas.link provide connectivity to a wide selection of premium data, ranging from the familiar crypto, equities, commodities, indices, and forex price data, as well as sports, payment, economic, blockchain analytics, and flight data, among many more. Adapters can be filtered by category to allow for easy discovery.
Adapter Configuration
With so many External Adapters to select from, it’s not surprising that configuration requirements will vary between adapters. We’ve empowered developers to set custom environment variables for each adapter, including the secure storage of API keys. Environment variables can be easily updated after deployment as requirements change, or new features are introduced.
A direct link to the official readme for each adapter is also provided, detailing any expected or optional environment variables, as well as input parameter options, and sample result output. Adapters will be automatically updated on schedule, to make sure developers always have access to their most current functionality.
Staying true to our mission of making Chainlink accessible, all adapters provided by LinkPool are free to deploy.
Generic Adapter
Included in the huge list of available adapters is a new Generic Adapter, built by the LinkPool Integrations team. The Generic Adapter allows developers to connect to any API, including APIs that require authentication.
Using environment variables, and a bit of magic, the Generic Adapter includes built-in handling for endpoint authentication through API key value pairs, basic auth, bearer tokens, as well as custom authentication methods. When deploying a Generic Adapter, developers simply add a base endpoint url and any other requirements as environment variables.
We believe the Generic Adapter is a powerful addition to naas.link, which opens the door for any data source to be used by smart contracts using Chainlink. Head over to the documentation to see all the features and functionality.
Docs Update
Our NaaS documentation has seen a large update with this release too. Be sure to check out the docs for additional context, instruction, and examples of all the new features in NaaS.
As part of our docs update, we have taken the opportunity to feature a new infographic which breaks down the lifecycle of a Chainlink direct request. There are many different pieces of infrastructure, code, and contracts which all work in concert to make external data accessible to smart contracts using Chainlink. The infographic helps to create a mental map of the various components, and details the flow of data and assets during a Chainlink direct request.
Upcoming Features
We are already hard at work building the next update for NaaS, which will be a big one. Our next release will include support for Chainlink nodes on mainnets, a generic on-chain billing system, and many more features and upgrades.
Today’s update to naas.link is significant, but it’s also just the beginning. We want to thank all early users for their initial and continued feedback as we push naas.link towards a foundational platform for teams who consume, provide, or serve data using Chainlink.
As always, you’re invited to let us know what you think, and we appreciate your feedback. If you have built something awesome using naas.link, we want to know about that too! Join us at talk.linkpool.io and on Telegram to share your thoughts on the updates.
