CashboardGlossary · Onchain
What is an RPC endpoint?
An RPC endpoint is the URL of a blockchain node that wallets and apps call to read chain data and send transactions, using remote procedure calls.
How does an RPC endpoint work?
Very few apps run their own full node. They connect to an RPC endpoint instead, a server with a node behind it that answers requests like get balance, get latest block or send transaction. EVM chains share one JSON-RPC standard (eth_getBalance, eth_blockNumber and so on). Solana has its own JSON-RPC methods plus WebSocket subscriptions.
Public endpoints are free and rate limited, and at busy moments they slow down. Paid providers such as Alchemy, QuickNode, Helius and Infura sell faster endpoints with higher limits. Most wallets let you set a custom RPC, and a few privacy-minded people run their own node so no third party sees which addresses they look up.
Whatever the endpoint returns is what you see. A lagging endpoint shows old balances and old blocks. An overloaded one is worse: it drops transactions exactly when the market is moving, which is why trading bots often broadcast through several endpoints at once.
Suppose one Solana endpoint answers in 80 milliseconds and another in 900. Both return correct data. The second just refreshes later and times out more often when the network is busy, and on a fast memecoin that is enough to make your watchlist feel stale.
Also called: RPC node, RPC URL, node provider.
Where does an RPC endpoint show up in Cashboard?
The Chain status widget calls a public RPC for each network every 15 seconds and shows the round-trip latency, green under 300 ms and red above one second, with the fastest network named at the top. Solana portfolios read through a read-only Solana RPC. EVM portfolios read from Blockscout's indexer rather than a node, and the only RPC involved is a Coinbase endpoint you can add in Cashboard Desktop to fetch the native balance when Blockscout does not answer. Chain pulse calls the public Base and Robinhood Chain RPCs directly for blocks, gas and, on Base, fee history. If any of those calls fails, the widget's block and gas tiles read n/a rather than show half an answer. All of these calls only read. Cashboard's own code never sends a transaction, and a swap you start on the web goes through Jupiter's or LI.FI's form, signed by your own wallet.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to use a public RPC endpoint?
For reading data, mostly yes. The operator can see your IP address and which addresses you query, and a broken or hostile endpoint can show wrong balances, but an RPC cannot sign or move anything without your key. For sending trades at busy moments, a paid or private endpoint is usually more reliable.
Where can you read more about RPC endpoint?
Related terms
Last reviewed . Market data in Cashboard comes from the providers named on each widget and may be delayed. Nothing here is financial advice.