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RPC Node Providers

Building dApps on Rootstock involves interacting with the blockchain network. But how do you access this network? That's where node providers come in. Think of them as gateways to the blockchain.

What are Node Providers?

Imagine a vast library filled with information about everything happening on the Rootstock network. Node providers maintain copies of this information, allowing developers to connect and retrieve essential details. These details can include transaction history, account balances, and smart contract data.

How Node Providers Work

Full Nodes: Node providers operate by running full nodes on the Rootstock blockchain. These full nodes download and store the complete history of the blockchain, enabling them to verify transactions and maintain a consistent view of the network. To interact with these full nodes, developers and applications utilize a remote procedure call (RPC) mechanism, specifically the JSON-RPC protocol. This protocol allows remote communication with the node, enabling the submission of requests and the receipt of responses.
API Access: Node providers like the Rootstock RPC API, Alchemy, GetBlock, NOWNodes, dRPC, etc offer an interface (API) that developers can use to communicate with these nodes and request specific data. This eliminates the need for developers to download the entire blockchain themselves, saving time and resources.