> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dexploit.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pairs vs tokens

> Why every OHLCV endpoint asks for a pair address, not a token mint.

If you've used other Solana data APIs, you probably ask for OHLCV by token mint. Dexploit doesn't work that way, and here's why.

## One token, many pools

A token like BONK trades on multiple DEX pools simultaneously. Each pool has its own liquidity, price, and volume. Asking "what's the price of BONK?" is ambiguous — it depends which pool.

For example, BONK trades across pools like these (real shape — fetch the latest from `/api/v1/pairs?token_address=DezXAZ8z7PnrnRJjz3wXBoRgixCa6xjnB7YaB1pPB263`):

| pair\_address             | protocol       | recent\_volume\_sol |
| ------------------------- | -------------- | ------------------- |
| `<pumpswap_pool_address>` | pumpswap       | 1234.56             |
| `<raydium_pool_address>`  | raydium\_amm   | 987.65              |
| `<meteora_pool_address>`  | meteora\_pools | 543.21              |

These are different pools — different LP accounts on-chain. They'll have small price differences and different volume profiles.

`protocol` is one of the **granular** DEX names — `pumpfun`, `pumpswap`, `raydium_amm`, `raydium_clmm`, `raydium_cpmm`, `orca`, `meteora_damm_v2`, `meteora_dbc`, `meteora_dlmm`, `meteora_pools`. The full list is `GET /api/v1/protocols`.

## What `pair_address` actually is

`pair_address` is the on-chain address of the pool / LP account. Every swap that happens against that pool is captured under that address. When you ask Dexploit for OHLCV or swap history, you're asking about activity in that specific pool.

## Discovery: find pairs for a token

Use [`GET /api/v1/pairs?token_address=...`](/api-reference) to list every pool we index for a given token, sorted by recent volume.

```bash theme={null}
curl -H 'X-API-Key: ohlcv_live_sk_<your_key>' \
  'https://api.dexploit.dev/api/v1/pairs?token_address=DezXAZ8z7PnrnRJjz3wXBoRgixCa6xjnB7YaB1pPB263&limit=10'
```

Pick the pool you want — usually the one with highest recent volume — and pass its `pair_address` to the OHLCV / swap endpoints.

## What happens if you send `mint` or `pair`

The API rejects it with a clear pointer:

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_PARAM",
    "message": "use pair_address; see /api/v1/pairs?token_address=X to discover pools"
  }
}
```

This is intentional. Aggregating OHLCV across pools requires us to make tradeoffs about which pool is "the" pool, and we'd rather hand that decision to you.

## When `mint` is the right input

A few endpoints intentionally take a token mint, because they aggregate across all pools:

* [`GET /swaps/token/{mint}`](/api-reference) — every swap of a token, across pools.
* [`GET /stats/token/{mint}`](/api-reference) — aggregate token stats.

If you're using one of those, mint is correct. Everywhere else, use `pair_address`.