Redpanda has introduced a beta version of its schema registry, which is integrated into its Apache Kafka-compatible event streaming platform and eliminates the need for additional services or binaries. The schema registry supports storing schemas in a raft-based storage engine, providing high availability and allowing users to manage schemas directly through a RESTful interface available on every broker. This system is designed to simplify operational complexity by using optimistic concurrency control and symmetric brokers, eliminating the need for leadership configuration or failover strategies. The schema registry currently supports AVRO schemas, with plans to include JSON and PROTOBUF, and it allows for the evolution of APIs by providing different compatibility levels, such as BACKWARDS and FORWARDS, to ensure smooth version transitions. Users can easily register, retrieve, and manage schemas and their versions through documented endpoints, facilitating the decoupling of producer and consumer rollouts in an asynchronous event-driven architecture.