In a huge innovation for the incorporation of high-quality weather data on blockchain, market-leading forecaster AccuWeather has teamed up with Chainlink to deliver a live weather API.
Chainlink will establish a node for AccuWeather which will facilitate the sale and usage of AccuWeather’s live data under cryptographic signature so the live weather APIs can be implemented by dApps and smart contracts.
Blockchains have no capacity to make external API calls, necessitating the need for an oracle infrastructure to bridge data into blockchains so it can be used functionally by smart contracts.
AccuWeather hosts a wide range of APIs based on location, forecasts, current conditions, indices, weather alerts/alarms and satellite imagery. These APIs are not only location specific, but can provide very precise current and future data points like temperature, wind speed, precipitation and wind chill.
This powerful oracle integration could therefore prove to be extremely useful as a blockchain component. Smart contracts are being widely deployed throughout weather forecast systems and Chainlink will function as an ideal high-speed middleware.
Kurt Fulepp, AccuWeather Global Chief Product Officer, explained the integration was one of the first weather APIs available for connection to smart contracts and dApps.
“As one of the initial weather-related data products to join Chainlink, we are thrilled to expand our reach in bringing value to the emerging blockchain-based market,” he said.
Future implications will likely be seen in agricultural smart contracts – especially during a time of climate change – with the new API allowing weather risks to be hedged so as to protect crops through agricultural insurance contracts, weather prediction markets, weather-dynamic supply chain management, and forecast alerts.
What is Chainlink?
Chainlink (LINK) is a leading oracle network for powering hybrid smart contracts.
Chainlink’s decentralised oracle networks provide developers with the largest collection of high-quality data sources and secure off-chain computations to expand the capabilities of smart contracts on any blockchain.
It is managed by a global, decentralised community, and Chainlink currently secures billions of dollars in value for smart contracts across decentralized finance (DeFi), insurance, gaming, and other major industries.
More crypto news and information
If you want to find out more information about Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies in general, then use the search box at the top of this page. Here’s an article to get you started.
As with any investment, it pays to do some homework before you part with your money. The prices of cryptocurrencies are volatile and go up and down quickly. This page is not recommending a particular currency or whether you should invest or not.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author should not be considered as financial advice. We do not give advice on financial products.