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Introduction

Dhali is an API monetisation, using open, next generation payment technology. API users can generate their own API keys on-demand and independently of API providers. Just like regular API keys, Dhali API keys get embedded into request headers. Unlike regular API keys, Dhali API keys have direct monetary value, enabled by Blockchain technology; the API keys of off-chain payments. This approach enables a world where no registrations or subscriptions are required. Authentication is replaced with a real-time nano-payment, which gets embedded into a request header:

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Why Dhali?

Everyone benefits:

  • API users:
    1. Get low costs.
    2. Get flexibility, with no need for commitments.
    3. Get access to APIs around the world, independent of their jurisdiction's banking system.
  • API creators:
    1. Increase reach through globally accessible blockchain technology.
    2. Reduce costs (checkout our pricing calculator to understand our costs).
    3. Reduce payment delays. We pay out API earnings to providers every 24 hours, rather than the typical days, weeks or even months imposed by the traditional financial system.
    4. Reduce payment failures. Our usage of next generation payment technology brings payment failure rates to zero.
    5. Flexible integration. Use Dhali as a simple reverse proxy or integrate our charging endpoint directly into your existing infrastructure.

How Dhali works?

Dhali uses blockchain payment channels to allow users to pay for APIs. Dhali API keys (often called payment claims) are actually layer-2 blockchain transactions against payment channels. A payment channel is a type of blockchain technology that allows for secure, fast, and low-cost transactions without needing to commit all those transactions individually to the blockchain.

A payment channel is like a locked box of money shared between two friends. Each time one friend wants to pay the other, instead of handing money directly, they exchange a key that permits a certain amount of money to be taken from the box in the future. The locked box only needs to be opened at the end when they're done transacting.

A payment claim is a base64 encoded string that is sent to Dhali. In the payment channel analogy above, it is a key to the box. It may represent fractions of a cent in value. Dhali checks its cryptographic validity, ensuring it can be used to pull money from the payment channel in the future. The maximum amount of money that can be taken is determined by the payment claim creator. Every 24 hours we submit the payment claim to the ledger, pulling from the payment channel what is owed to the API owner.

All requests to Dhali should include the payment-claim header:

Payment-Claim: $B64_PAYMENT_CLAIM
To understand more about payment claims, see our section on adding the Dhali payment terminal:

How to add the payment terminal