Authentication

Every surface authenticates the same way: an API key named x-api-key — gRPC call metadata on streams, an HTTP header everywhere else. Keys are created and revoked in your credentials page; one key works across all three public endpoints.

Where the key goes

Surface	Endpoint	How to pass the key
Data streams (gRPC)	grpc.robinhoodrpc.io:443	x-api-key call metadata
Robinhood Chain JSON-RPC	https://rpc.robinhoodrpc.io	x-api-key header
the equities REST API	https://api.robinhoodrpc.io/info	x-api-key header

Historical exports are handled manually through a scoped request; there is no public historical API endpoint to authenticate against.

Requests without a valid key are rejected up front: gRPC calls fail with UNAUTHENTICATED, HTTPS surfaces return 401. If your very first grpcurl list fails, check the key before anything else.

gRPC streams: metadata

Attach the key as call metadata on every RPC. Metadata rides the initial HTTP/2 headers, so long-lived streams authenticate once at connect time.

grpcurl -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_KEY' grpc.robinhoodrpc.io:443 list

HTTPS surfaces: header

RPC and /info take the same key as a plain request header:

# Robinhood Chain JSON-RPCcurl https://rpc.robinhoodrpc.io -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_KEY' \  -H 'content-type: application/json' \  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[]}' # the equities REST APIcurl https://api.robinhoodrpc.io/info -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_KEY' \  -H 'content-type: application/json' \  -d '{"type":"meta"}'

Key handling

Keep keys in environment variables or a secret manager — never in source control, never in client-side code. A leaked key spends your egress and request quota.
Use separate keys per service and per environment (staging vs. production), so a single revocation never takes down everything at once. Paid tiers include multiple keys — see rate limits & tiers.
Browser dashboards should proxy through your backend. gRPC streams are server-to-server; do not embed a key in shipped frontend code.
Usage is attributed per key in the console, so one key per consumer also gives you per-consumer metering for free.

Rotation

Rotation is zero-downtime if you sequence it:

Contact support for a replacement key. The temporary credentials page intentionally exposes one active key and does not yet include self-serve rotation.
Deploy consumers with the new key. Long-lived streams pick it up on their next reconnect — force one if you want the cutover now.
Revoke the old key. New connections with it are rejected from that point, so rotate first, revoke second.