When users check their balance through wallets or submit transactions to exchanges, RPC nodes build a "communication bridge" between blockchain and applications. RPC (Remote Procedure Call) nodes serve as the "interface gateway" of blockchain, transforming user requests into executable instructions on the chain and returning processing results. They are the key infrastructure for the landing of Web3 applications. How does this technology achieve efficient interaction in decentralized networks? And in which scenarios does it ensure the reliability of data transmission?
Core function: "Translator" for blockchain interaction.
The core function of RPC nodes is to shield the underlying complexity of blockchain and provide standardized interactive interfaces. Their main functions include:
- Request Processing and Instruction Translation : Through protocols such as JSON-RPC and gRPC, users' operations such as "querying balance" and "sending transactions" are transformed into instructions recognizable by the blockchain. For example, Ethereum nodes respond to address balance queries through eth_getBalance methods, return hexadecimal data, and be parsed into readable values by the application.
- Data synchronization and state maintenance : Full node RPC needs to synchronize the complete blockchain data (such as Bitcoin full node storage 500GB + ledger), light nodes obtain the required information through trusted full nodes, balancing storage costs and response speed;
- Security and permission control : Access is restricted through API keys and IP allowlist to prevent malicious request attacks. The RPC node cluster deployed by HashKey Exchange adopts multi-layer firewalls, allowing only authenticated trading systems to call eth_sendRawTransaction methods to ensure the security of asset operations.
Technical Architecture and Application Scenarios
- Three-tier architecture supports efficient interaction
- Protocol layer : Compatible with multi-chain protocols, such as Ethereum's JSON-RPC, Solana's JSON-RPC 2.0, Cosmos' gRPC, to ensure unified calls for cross-chain applications;
- Node cluster layer : Distribute requests through load balancing (such as NGINX), the RPC node cluster of HashKey Exchange contains 20 + full nodes, automatically routes high-frequency queries to standby nodes, and the response delay is controlled within 100ms;
- Monitoring and disaster recovery layer : real-time detection of node synchronization status (such as block height difference), automatic switching to backup nodes when abnormal, availability up to 99.99%.
- Key application scenarios
- Real-time reconciliation of the exchange : HashKey Exchange queries the on-chain asset balance every 30 seconds through RPC nodes, reconciles with the platform account system, and intercepts 3 abnormal reconciliation differences through this mechanism in 2024.
- DeFi protocol interaction : Uniswap obtains liquidity pool data through RPC nodes, generates transaction instructions after calculating the exchange price. When users click "exchange", the instructions are sent to the Ethereum mainnet through the node.
- Wallet asset display : MetaMask and other wallets obtain the token balance and transaction history of user addresses in real time through RPC service providers such as Infura, without the need for users to run full nodes.
Although RPC nodes face challenges such as centralized service dependency and cross-chain protocol adaptation, they have become the core hub of the Web3 ecosystem as a necessary channel for "user-blockchain". With the development of decentralized RPC networks (such as Ankr and Pocket Network), node services will become more distributed, promoting the large-scale application of blockchain.