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RPC

RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. It’s a way for a crypto wallet or app to communicate with a blockchain.

Last updated • 2 min read
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What is an RPC?

A blockchain stores information such as balances and transactions. An RPC node is a server that can retrieve this information for a wallet or app. The node can also send a transaction to the network.

You usually use an RPC without realizing it. When you open a crypto wallet, for example, it uses an RPC to check the balance of your wallet address. A dApp is an app that runs on a blockchain. These apps often use an RPC too.

An example of an RPC

You open your wallet and check your ETH balance. Your wallet doesn’t store all the information about Ethereum itself.

So the wallet sends a request to an Ethereum RPC node. The node looks up the balance on the blockchain and sends the result back. That’s how the balance appears in your wallet.

Why is an RPC important in crypto?

RPC nodes make blockchains usable for wallets, dApps, and crypto exchanges. They help display balances, check transactions, and send tokens.

News about wallets or blockchain apps may mention an outage at an RPC provider. A slow or overloaded RPC node can make a wallet load slowly or cause a dApp to temporarily stop working properly. That doesn’t necessarily mean the blockchain itself is down.

News may also cover reliance on a single provider. If many apps use the same RPC provider, an outage at that provider can affect many users. That’s why some projects use multiple providers or run their own nodes.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. The information provided may be incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated and should not be relied upon as such. Nothing on this website should be considered a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any cryptocurrency. Investing in crypto-assets involves risk of loss.