In today’s world of ever-increasing digital interconnectivity, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) have emerged as essential tools for integrating data efficiently and cost-effectively.

Enterprises are increasingly taking advantage of APIs to gain a competitive edge, create new business opportunities, and accelerate tech modernization efforts. This has led to the ubiquitous availability of APIs.

For example, Rakuten RapidAPI, which is a global API directory, lists more than 10,000 APIs on its platform to allow developers to discover and integrate a wide range of APIs into their use cases.

So, what is driving this massive growth of APIs?

In this article, I’m going to talk about the following five main factors behind the remarkable evolution of APIs in recent years:

• Growth of emerging technologies
• Need for improved developer experience
• Growth of API management platforms
• Adoption of modern API designs
• Changes in how APIs are perceived

Let me address these in more detail.

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