JWT vs Opaque Tokens: Choosing the Right Token for API Security (opens in new tab)

When discussing modern API security, developers frequently conflate terms like bearer token and JSON Web Token (JWT). This semantic confusion around access tokens often masks a critical architectural distinction. A bearer token specifies the transmission mechanism, while a JWT defines a specific, structured data format. But due to the extensive adoption of JWTs, there is <a class="read_more" href="