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Runtime APIs & JSON-RPC Changelog - v7.4 to v8.0

This page covers the two integrator-facing layers that sit outside extrinsics/events/storage: Runtime APIs (versioned traits called via state_call, e.g. api.call.stakingApi.nominationsQuota()) and the node's JSON-RPC methods (e.g. identity_getDidRecords). It is part of the v7.4 → v8.0 changelog.

Audience: anyone calling Runtime APIs directly (via state_call/polkadot.js/subxt) or depending on a specific JSON-RPC method being present — most commonly integrators using the IdentityApi, AssetApi, SettlementApi, or StakingApi traits.

Overview​

Five custom JSON-RPC methods are removed, one changes its parameters:

MethodWhat changed
identity_isIdentityHasValidCddRemoved
identity_validCDDClaimsRemoved
asset_transferReportRemoved
nft_transferReportRemoved
staking_getCurveRemoved
settlement_getAffirmationCountportfolios: Vec<PortfolioId> → holder_set: Vec<AssetHolder>

Every other custom JSON-RPC method (identity_getDidRecords, identity_getDidStatus, identity_getFilteredAuthorizations, identity_getKeyIdentityData, group_getCDDValidMembers, group_getGCValidMembers, pips_getVotes, pips_proposedBy, pips_votedOn, protocolFee_computeFee, settlement_getExecuteInstructionInfo, settlement_getTransferReport, settlement_getExecuteInstructionReport, payment_queryInfo, payment_queryFeeDetails, compliance_complianceReport) is unchanged, as is the standard Substrate RPC surface (chain_*, state_*, author_*, etc.).

Five of the ten Polymesh-specific Runtime APIs (the state_call layer) also changed:

TraitWhat changed
AssetApitransfer_report retyped to AssetHolder; new allowance method
NFTApitransfer_report retyped to AssetHolder
SettlementApiget_affirmation_count retyped to AssetHolder; new get_receiver_affirmation_requirement method
IdentityApitwo CDD-related methods removed
StakingApientire method set replaced

ComplianceApi, GroupApi, PipsApi, ProtocolFeeApi, and StatisticsApi are unchanged. Full detail on each is below.

As of v8, you can also fetch the complete Runtime API surface — every trait, version, and method — directly from the chain via Metadata::metadata_at_version(15) or (16). On v7.4 this list wasn't queryable on-chain at all; a client had to already know the definitions ahead of time.

Why custom JSON-RPC methods are shrinking: v8 favors Runtime APIs over custom JSON-RPC methods. A Runtime API is self-describing (discoverable via metadata v15/v16, versioned) and needs no per-method node registration; a custom RPC needs both. Equivalent state_call runtime APIs are available for each of the above removed JSON-RPC methods, instead of a dedicated RPC method.

JSON-RPC method changes​

Every removed JSON-RPC method above was a thin wrapper that forwarded to the correspondingly-named Runtime API method (see rpc/src/lib.rs), and each is removed together with its underlying Runtime API method — see Runtime API changes below for what replaces the data, if anything:

  • identity_isIdentityHasValidCdd(did, buffer_time) and identity_validCDDClaims(target_identity, cdd_checker_leeway) — removed along with IdentityApi's corresponding methods (see Identity & Onboarding). Query identity.claims storage directly if you still need CDD-claim data.
  • asset_transferReport(sender_portfolio, receiver_portfolio, asset_id, transfer_value, skip_locked_check) and nft_transferReport(sender_portfolio, receiver_portfolio, nfts, skip_locked_check) — removed. AssetApi::transfer_report and NFTApi::transfer_report still exist and are still callable, but only via state_call — there is no longer a dedicated JSON-RPC method for either. If your integration called these by name, switch to a state_call-capable client.
  • staking_getCurve() — removed along with the entire pallets/staking/rpc crate. The new StakingApi methods (nominations_quota, eras_stakers_page_count, pending_rewards) have no JSON-RPC wrapper either — they're state_call-only.
  • settlement_getAffirmationCount(instruction_id, portfolios: Vec<PortfolioId>) → settlement_getAffirmationCount(instruction_id, holder_set: Vec<AssetHolder>) — same method name, but the second parameter is renamed and retyped. Update the argument, don't just keep calling it with a PortfolioId list.

Runtime API changes​

Of the ten Polymesh-specific Runtime API traits, five are unchanged between v7.4 and v8 (ComplianceApi, GroupApi, PipsApi, ProtocolFeeApi, StatisticsApi). Five changed — three of them (AssetApi, NFTApi, SettlementApi) as part of the same PortfolioId → AssetHolder migration that runs through the Asset, Nft, and Settlement pallets themselves (see Native Asset Holdings and Settlement & Instructions):

AssetApi — version bump, transfer_report retyped, new allowance method​

// v7.4 — AssetApi v4
transfer_report(sender_portfolio: PortfolioId, receiver_portfolio: PortfolioId, asset_id, transfer_value, skip_locked_check) -> Vec<DispatchError>

// v8.0 — AssetApi v5
transfer_report(sender: AssetHolder, receiver: AssetHolder, asset_id, transfer_value, skip_locked_check) -> Vec<DispatchError>
allowance(owner: AccountId, spender: AccountId, asset_id: AssetId) -> Balance

The trait version bumps from 4 to 5. transfer_report's sender_portfolio/receiver_portfolio: PortfolioId parameters are renamed and retyped to sender/receiver: AssetHolder, matching the same change already made to Asset::controller_transfer and the other pallet-level calls (see Native Asset Holdings). allowance is entirely new — it reads the Allowances storage directly, the on-chain counterpart to the new Asset::approve call (see Native Asset Holdings). Use it to query a spender's remaining allowance without decoding Allowances storage yourself.

NFTApi — version bump, transfer_report retyped​

// v7.4 — NFTApi v2
transfer_report(sender_portfolio: PortfolioId, receiver_portfolio: PortfolioId, nfts, skip_locked_check) -> Vec<DispatchError>

// v8.0 — NFTApi v3
transfer_report(sender: AssetHolder, receiver: AssetHolder, nfts, skip_locked_check) -> Vec<DispatchError>

Same PortfolioId → AssetHolder rename/retype as AssetApi::transfer_report above, and the trait version bumps from 2 to 3 accordingly.

SettlementApi — version bump, get_affirmation_count retyped, new get_receiver_affirmation_requirement method​

// v7.4 — SettlementApi v2
get_affirmation_count(instruction_id: InstructionId, portfolios: Vec<PortfolioId>) -> AffirmationCount

// v8.0 — SettlementApi v3
get_affirmation_count(instruction_id: InstructionId, holder_set: Vec<AssetHolder>) -> AffirmationCount
get_receiver_affirmation_requirement(receiver: AssetHolder, asset_id: AssetId) -> AffirmationRequirement

The trait version bumps from 2 to 3. get_affirmation_count's portfolios: Vec<PortfolioId> parameter is renamed and retyped to holder_set: Vec<AssetHolder>, matching the same rename already made to affirm_instruction and related calls (see Settlement & Instructions). get_receiver_affirmation_requirement is entirely new, returning AffirmationRequirement::Automatic or ::Required for a given receiver/asset pair — see the new set_mandatory_receiver_affirmation call. The other five SettlementApi methods (get_execute_instruction_info, get_transfer_report, get_execute_instruction_report, lock_instruction_weight, instruction_asset_count) are unchanged.

IdentityApi — two methods removed​

is_identity_has_valid_cdd(did, buffer_time) and valid_cdd_claims(target_identity, cdd_checker_leeway) existed at v7.4 and are gone at v8 — the trait stays at version 4, but with a smaller method set (get_did_records, get_did_status, get_filtered_authorizations, get_key_identity_data remain). This tracks the same DID-only-onboarding shift as the rest of the Identity pallet — see Identity & Onboarding. If your integration checked CDD validity via this API directly (rather than through an extrinsic or the removed gc_add_cdd_claim/claims-query calls), there is no direct replacement; CDD claims can still be read via the standard identity.claims storage query.

StakingApi — method set fully replaced​

// v7.4 — pallet_staking_rpc_runtime_api::StakingApi<Block>
get_curve() -> Vec<(Perbill, Perbill)>

// v8.0 — pallet_staking_runtime_api::StakingApi<Block, Balance, AccountId>
nominations_quota(balance: Balance) -> u32
eras_stakers_page_count(era: EraIndex, account: AccountId) -> Page
pending_rewards(era: EraIndex, account: AccountId) -> bool

get_curve() (the old Polymesh-custom reward-curve lookup) is gone along with the custom Staking pallet it belonged to — see Staking & Validators. The v8 trait is the standard upstream pallet-staking Runtime API: nominations_quota reflects the new NominationsQuota config (replacing the MaxNominations constant), and eras_stakers_page_count/pending_rewards are exactly the query surface you need for the new paged reward payouts — call eras_stakers_page_count(era, validator_stash) to know how many payout_stakers_by_page calls a validator's era requires, and pending_rewards(era, account) to check whether a specific nominator/validator still has an unpaid page.

New Runtime API traits (framework-level, not Polymesh-specific)​

These are standard Polkadot SDK traits that didn't exist on v7.4 because the underlying pallets/features didn't exist there — each is already covered by its pallet's changelog page:

TraitBacking palletSee
BeefyApiBeefyOther Runtime Changes
MmrApiMmr / MmrLeafOther Runtime Changes
ReviveApipallet-reviveSmart Contracts
GenesisBuilder— (chain-spec/genesis tooling)n/a — not asset/settlement/staking relevant

Full v8 Runtime API surface​

For reference, every Runtime API trait exposed by the v8.0.0 runtime, as reported by its own metadata v16 (Metadata::metadata_at_version(16)):

TraitVersionMethods
Core5version, execute_block, initialize_block
Metadata2metadata, metadata_at_version, metadata_versions
BlockBuilder6apply_extrinsic, finalize_block, inherent_extrinsics, check_inherents
TaggedTransactionQueue3validate_transaction
OffchainWorkerApi2offchain_worker
GrandpaApi3grandpa_authorities, submit_report_equivocation_unsigned_extrinsic, generate_key_ownership_proof, current_set_id
BabeApi2configuration, current_epoch_start, current_epoch, next_epoch, generate_key_ownership_proof, submit_report_equivocation_unsigned_extrinsic
AuthorityDiscoveryApi1authorities
AccountNonceApi1account_nonce
ContractsApi2call, instantiate, upload_code, get_storage
TransactionPaymentApi2query_info, query_fee_details
TransactionPaymentCallApi2query_call_info, query_call_fee_details
SessionKeys2generate_session_keys, decode_session_keys
StakingApi1nominations_quota, eras_stakers_page_count, pending_rewards
PipsApi1get_votes, proposed_by, voted_on
ProtocolFeeApi1compute_fee
IdentityApi4get_did_records, get_filtered_authorizations, get_did_status, get_key_identity_data
AssetApi5transfer_report, allowance
GroupApi1get_cdd_valid_members, get_gc_valid_members
NFTApi3transfer_report
SettlementApi3get_execute_instruction_info, get_affirmation_count, get_transfer_report, get_execute_instruction_report, lock_instruction_weight, instruction_asset_count, get_receiver_affirmation_requirement
ComplianceApi2compliance_report
StatisticsApi0transfer_restrictions_report
GenesisBuilder1build_state, get_preset, preset_names
BeefyApi6beefy_genesis, validator_set, submit_report_double_voting_unsigned_extrinsic, submit_report_fork_voting_unsigned_extrinsic, submit_report_future_block_voting_unsigned_extrinsic, generate_key_ownership_proof
MmrApi3mmr_root, mmr_leaf_count, generate_proof, generate_ancestry_proof, verify_proof, verify_proof_stateless
ReviveApi1eth_block, eth_block_hash, eth_receipt_data, block_gas_limit, balance, gas_price, nonce, call, instantiate, eth_transact, eth_transact_with_config, upload_code, get_storage, get_storage_var_key, trace_block, trace_tx, trace_call, block_author, address, account_id, runtime_pallets_address, code, new_balance_with_dust

The framework-standard traits (Core through SessionKeys) track the underlying Polkadot SDK version bump and aren't individually itemized against v7.4 here — their version numbers moved as part of that upgrade, not as a Polymesh-specific design change.

Migration checklist​

  1. If you call identity_isIdentityHasValidCdd or identity_validCDDClaims (JSON-RPC) or IdentityApi::is_identity_has_valid_cdd/valid_cdd_claims (Runtime API), note neither exists on v8 in either form — query identity.claims storage directly if you still need CDD-claim data.
  2. If you call asset_transferReport or nft_transferReport (JSON-RPC), switch to a state_call-capable client and use AssetApi::transfer_report/NFTApi::transfer_report — the JSON-RPC wrapper is gone, but the underlying Runtime API method still exists (with sender/receiver now AssetHolder instead of PortfolioId).
  3. If you need a spender's remaining Asset::approve allowance, use the new AssetApi::allowance Runtime API instead of decoding Allowances storage directly.
  4. If you call settlement_getAffirmationCount (JSON-RPC or Runtime API), update the second argument from portfolios: Vec<PortfolioId> to holder_set: Vec<AssetHolder>.
  5. If you need to know whether an instruction leg will require explicit receiver affirmation, use the new SettlementApi::get_receiver_affirmation_requirement Runtime API instead of assuming automatic affirmation.
  6. If you call staking_getCurve (JSON-RPC) or StakingApi::get_curve (Runtime API), note both are gone — for paged-reward tooling, switch to StakingApi::eras_stakers_page_count and StakingApi::pending_rewards; for the nomination limit, use StakingApi::nominations_quota. None of these three have a JSON-RPC wrapper — call them via state_call.
  7. Don't assume you need to hardcode Runtime API definitions client-side going forward — fetch them from the chain itself via Metadata::metadata_at_version(15) or (16).
  8. If your own node runs with a restricted RPC method set, don't rely solely on its rpc_methods output to judge what changed here — cross-check against this page.