What Is RPC Node in Solana?
An RPC (Remote Procedure Call) node is a Solana validator that exposes the JSON-RPC API for external applications. It allows developers to read blockchain data and submit transactions without running their own validator.
RPC nodes vs validators
All RPC nodes are validators, but not all validators serve RPC traffic. A voting validator focuses on consensus and block production. An RPC node additionally handles API requests from clients.
Types of RPC nodes
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Public | Free, rate-limited, no SLA — for development only |
| Shared | Paid service shared among multiple customers |
| Dedicated | Private node allocated to a single customer |
| Self-hosted | You run and maintain the hardware yourself |
What an RPC node provides
- Read account data, balances, and transaction history
- Submit transactions to the network
- Subscribe to real-time updates via WebSocket
- Simulate transactions before sending
Key considerations
RPC nodes do not store the full ledger history indefinitely. Most nodes keep 1-2 epochs of recent data. For historical data, you need an archive node or a specialized data provider.
Sources
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