Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, right? If you’re on different planets, you can’t communicate with your own language. You need something that unifies both planets. This is basically what RPC is. Decentralized apps use RPC nodes NFT to retrieve data from the blockchain. Too confusing? Let’s unpack it step by step.
First, What Does RPC Mean?
RPC, or remote procedure call, is a lightweight software communication protocol. Basically, it allows one program to communicate with another program hosted on a different network.
For example, you can use an RPC from your local computer to request different resources from a remote server system. The thing is, it does all of that without needing any details from the latter’s network.
So, web2 (from Mars) wants to ask web3 (from Venus) for a notebook. There are two cases: with RPC and without it.
Without RPC:
It’s like someone is on Mars screaming hoping someone on Venus would listen. The thing is, no matter how much he screams the Venus resident wouldn’t hear a word.
And, even if he ends up hearing something, he wouldn’t understand a word. So, web2 can’t interact with web3 this way.
Communication: Zero.
With RPC:
Now, we put a messenger between Mars and Venus. Mars’ resident tells the messenger what he wants from Venus’s resident. Then, the messenger passes the message, gets the reply, and transfers it.
The messenger is RPC. That way, web2 can immediately communicate with web3 and request anything.
Okay But, What Are RPC Nodes NFT?
Continuing with the same analogy, men from Mars and women from Venus. In the context of the NFT space, decentralized apps are men and the blockchain’s a woman. Not trying to be sexist here.
But, what does that mean? Decentralized apps constantly need data from different blockchain networks to do user requests. They can’t work on their own so they must connect to the blockchain.
This is where RPC nodes NFT come into play. They connect dApps to the blockchain so the apps can send transactions, or retrieve block data, etc.
RPC Nodes NFT Structure
Before we get into how the RPC nodes NFT technically work, let’s check their structure. They are formed from the following:
- Client: It is the component that sends a request via the RPC.
- Server: It is the component receiving the request from the client. And, then doing the necessary functions per the request.
- Communication Protocols: RPC node uses communication protocols like TCP/IP to allow the client and server to communicate.
- Networking Configuration: In order for the client and server to communicate, there should be a network connection between them. There are various network configurations, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the internet.
- Security Considerations: Security is very important. Therefore, individuals usually implement measures such as firewalls, secure communication protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS), and access controls.
How Do RPC Nodes NFT Work?
We already agreed that RPC nodes NFT allow us to work with the blockchain as if it’s on the same server. But how?
Basically, they do that through a request-reply function that transmits information between the client (dApp) and the server (blockchain).
It goes like this (in very dumbed-down wording):
- The client application wants something from the blockchain (server)
- These two don’t speak the same language (oh no)
- The client sees RPC (hell yes!)
- The client sends a request (through RPC) to the server
- This request contains the name/information of the function that needs to be executed as well as the needed parameters
- RPC goes, I got you. I will take care of the communication process
- RPC transmits the request to the blockchain server
- The blockchain then returns the result of the function execution to the client application
Now, to see it from a coding perspective:
RPC is a software protocol as we said. So, we feed it the request we want with all the needed parameters. We do that by using “Call P (X,Y,Z)”.
In this case, we’re giving it the parameters 2 and 5 (in red above).
What we want is the result from another server that uses a different coding language. The RPC takes over and gives us the result by Return P. The result, in this case, is 7 (in green).
The JSON-RPC
JSON-RPC is the RPC protocol specifically used for the blockchain. It is known for retrieving and processing data quickly. So, whenever you need something from the blockchain, you request any data through the JSON-RPC.
The RPC then runs a “remote function call” using the appropriate programming language of the server to retrieve the data you need. It will look something like this (below). The top half is the request and the bottom half is the answer.
Now, we don’t really care what language is used. We just care that it’s taking care of this for us. But, what we should understand is the RPC nodes NFT endpoints.
RPC Endpoints
The RPC endpoint is the network location where a program could transfer its RPC requests to access server data. So, once you connect a dApp to an RPC endpoint, you can access the functionalities of different operations.
A node with the proper software installed will have the ability to respond to RPC requests. An RPC endpoint running on a node refers to the service through which your dApp will get blockchain information for its users.
Accordingly, all RPC endpoints run on RPC nodes. And, all RPC nodes are nodes with RPC endpoints. So we will use the terms RPC node and RPC endpoint interchangeably.
There are multiple types of RPC nodes NFT endpoints:
- Public RPC Nodes
- Private RPC Nodes
- Alternative RPC Nodes
Public RPC Nodes NFT Endpoints
- Shared and rate-limited resources
- Free
- Ready to use by anyone
- No public support
- Lack active developer infrastructure
- Do not scale to the demands of running dApps
Blockchains offer public RPC endpoints to allow anybody to send and receive data from the blockchain (e.g. make a transaction).
Private RPC Nodes NFT Endpoints
- Operate to serve your dApp’s needs alone
- No request congestion
- Fast and consistent
Alternative RPC Nodes NFT Endpoints
These endpoints act as an alternative RPC endpoint in case your main one is down. This ensures a smooth user experience.
That way if your primary RPC endpoint fails, your users’ transactions are safe.
Minting And RPC Nodes NFT
So, we know that the RPC Nodes NFT are basically the link between users and the blockchain. Obviously, we’ll use the RPCs to mint.
In the normal route, the RPC is already embedded in the website’s script. We personally don’t have to be worried about getting the RPC or running it.
However, some websites have slow RPCs which can massively impact your chances of minting. Again, if the RPC is the messenger, this means slow messenger = slow response.
Usually, websites make sure they’re getting their RPCs from top providers. This ensures their users are getting a fast and smooth minting experience. But, you might still fail to mint. Why?
Is it the RPC’s fault? Not really. It’s usually to overallocated white lists, hyped releases, and gas wars. And, that happens a lot in this space. Some pay thousands of dollars and get nothing. This is usually when collectors opt for an NFT bot.
How NFT Bots Use RPC Nodes NFT In Their Favor
Just like everything else, minting bots use RPC nodes NFT to directly interact with the blockchain. Why do bots need RPCs tho? Well, the RPC is embedded in the website. So again, we don’t get our own RPC to mint.
However, the bot doesn’t mint through the website. It directly goes to the blockchain hence the need for RPC.
How Do Bots Use RPC Nodes NFT To Mint?
The process is similar to a dApp connecting to the blockchain via RPC. When you click start, the bot begins doing the necessary calculations to mint.
It sends requests via the RCP to get basic information from the blockchain such as the current gas price, block number, etc. Then, it encodes your date (again through the RPC) so the blockchain can read it.
Afterward, it signs your transactions and sends them through the RPC.
So, basically the same process normally but faster.
Why NFT Bots Beat Regular Users on Hyped NFT Drops?
Before we understand the bot’s advantage, let’s remember the problem. An overallocated whitelist on a very hyped release. Everyone wants to mint but there isn’t enough supply. This causes a gas war. And, gas fees can be crazy high.
So, who’s faster wins. Therefore, the bot developers first make sure they have a premium RPC. Premium RPCs ensure lower latency which is crucial in a gas war. A millisecond can save thousands of dollars.
But, also the website can have premium RPCs. What’s the difference? The difference here is there is no “human delay” via the bot. RPC is just for leverage allowing you to mint with the lowest gas prices possible.
You don’t need a bot to mint but it sure helps. At the end of the day, it’s about your personal preference regarding NFT bots.
What Are The Top RPC Nodes NFT Providers?
The following are the top RPC nodes NFT providers:
Conclusion
So, RPC nodes NFT are our link to the blockchain. It can either make our minting experience heaven or hell. And, in a minting war, bots can be very handy. It definitely is still a touchy subject in web3. Some like bots and some don’t. But, if you want to check NFT bots and decide for yourself, I got you. Here are the top NFT bots in 2023!