How token ownership unlocks Hydra API access.
Token-Gated Access
Hydra API access is gated by token ownership. This isn't speculative utility — holding the token is the mechanism that grants access to the data streams. The more streams you want, the more token you hold.
How It Works
1. Hold minimum Hydra token balance in your wallet
2. Sign a message with your wallet (proves ownership, no custody)
3. Receive a time-limited JWT scoped to your active subscriptions
4. Use the JWT to authenticate WebSocket connections and REST calls
5. JWT auto-renews while you maintain the required balance
No account creation. No credit card. No bridging. Your wallet is your account.
Token Thresholds
Each stream has a minimum holding requirement. Subscribing to multiple streams requires holding the combined threshold.
| Stream Tier | Min. Hydra | Streams Included |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 1,000 | Geopolitical signals, market data |
| Standard | 5,000 | + Military aircraft, naval vessels |
| Advanced | 15,000 | + Cyber threats, missile alerts, airspace |
| Full Access | 50,000 | All streams, priority rate limits |
Exact thresholds are subject to change via governance. The current values are always readable on-chain and reflected in the dashboard.
Subscriptions
Streams are subscribed individually. If you hold 5,000 tokens you could choose:
- Aircraft + Vessels (Standard tier)
- Or any two individual streams from a lower tier
You select active subscriptions in the dashboard. Your JWT is then scoped to only those streams — even if you hold tokens for more, the key only grants what you've explicitly subscribed to.
Key Lifecycle
| Event | Effect |
|---|---|
| Key issued | Valid for 24 hours |
| Balance check passes at expiry | Auto-renewed for another 24 hours |
| Balance drops below threshold | Key not renewed |
| Subscription changed | New key issued immediately, old key invalidated |
Build your applications to handle 401 responses gracefully — re-authenticate when you receive one. Token balances can fluctuate, especially for wallets that are actively trading.
Node Operators
Top-tier holders can run their own data nodes, contributing to the network rather than just consuming it. Node operators receive reduced API costs and fee rebates. See Node Operators for details.