Glossary: RPC

What is RPC?

RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is a communication protocol that allows a client application to send requests to a blockchain node and receive data or trigger actions, such as reading wallet balances, submitting transactions, or querying smart contract state.

RPC Explained

Think about ordering food at a restaurant. You do not go into the kitchen yourself. You tell the waiter what you want, the waiter takes your request to the kitchen, and brings back what you ordered.

An RPC works the same way.

Your app is the customer. The blockchain node is the kitchen. The RPC is the waiter that carries requests back and forth.

Without RPC, your application would have no way to talk to the blockchain and get anything done.

What RPC Means For

Examples

1. A blockchain-based apps wallet uses an RPC endpoint to fetch a user's token balance from the blockchain every time they open the app.

2. A DeFi protocol routes all transaction submissions through a private RPC provider to reduce latency and protect users from front-running.

3. A developer switches from a public RPC endpoint to a dedicated provider like Alchemy or Infura after hitting rate limits that were causing failed requests in their application.

4. A data team queries historical blockchain state through an archive RPC node to reconstruct past on-chain activity for analytics purposes.

Related reading

Explore Blockchain Nodes, Indexer, Chain ID, and Transaction.

FAQs

What is an RPC endpoint?

An RPC endpoint is a URL that an application sends requests to in order to communicate with a blockchain node. It acts as the access point between your app and the network.

What is the difference between a public and private RPC?

A public endpoint is generally shared and may impose rate limits or availability constraints. A private endpoint is access-controlled or provisioned for a customer, but is not necessarily a dedicated node. Check support, limits, data handling, and service guarantees.

What should teams compare when choosing an Ethereum RPC provider?

Compare supported methods and networks, latency, rate limits, archival access, reliability, geographic coverage, authentication, and pricing. Requirements differ between a wallet, an indexer, and an analytics pipeline.

Can RPC endpoints be a security risk?

Yes. Malicious RPC endpoints can return false data or intercept transaction details. Always use trusted providers and verify endpoint sources, especially in wallets.

What is the difference between RPC and an API?

An API is a broader concept for how applications communicate. RPC is a specific type of API pattern where the client calls a function on a remote server and receives a result directly.