Settlement layer · Chain ID 1

Ethereum Mainnet RPC

rpcfree.com provides a free public JSON-RPC endpoint for Ethereum Mainnet (chain ID 1). No signup, no API key required. 333,000 calls per day. Supports archive data, trace methods, and is compatible with MetaMask, ethers.js, viem, and hardhat.

HTTPS endpoint LIVE

https://rpcfree.com/ethereum-rpc

Chain ID 1 · Currency ETH · Block time ~12s · L1 finality ~13 min (probabilistic)

Try in browser

Live from this RPC

Values refresh every 12 seconds via public dRPC while rpcfree RPC is paused. Gas is shown in Gwei (wei ÷ 109).

Latest block —
Suggested gas price —
Round-trip latency —

Quick start with ethers.js

Archive queries work without configuration. Compatible with ethers v6, viem, web3.js, web3.py, go-ethereum, and any standard EVM client.

import { JsonRpcProvider, formatEther } from "ethers";

const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://rpcfree.com/ethereum-rpc");

// Read current block
const block = await provider.getBlockNumber();

// Read vitalik.eth's balance
const bal = await provider.getBalance("vitalik.eth");
console.log(formatEther(bal), "ETH");

// Archive query — vitalik's balance at block 18000000 (June 2023)
const oldBal = await provider.getBalance("vitalik.eth", 18000000);
console.log(formatEther(oldBal), "ETH at block 18000000");

Common pitfalls on Ethereum

Mainnet-specific debugging — these patterns do not map 1:1 to rollups or alt-L1s.

Transaction stuck pending

If your transaction has not been mined after a few minutes, check:

  1. Gas price too low. Current base fee is surfaced in the live widget above. Your maxFeePerGas should typically be ≥ 2× the base fee headroom during volatility.
  2. Nonce gap. Query eth_getTransactionCount for the next expected nonce. If a pending tx uses a higher nonce than expected, an earlier tx is blocking the queue.
  3. Resend to replace. Re-broadcast the same nonce with a higher gas price (often ≥10% bump) to replace the original.

“Execution reverted” with no reason

Pre–Solidity 0.8.4 contracts often revert() without messages. For 0.8.4+, decode custom errors — viem’s simulateContract parses errors like InsufficientBalance(uint256,uint256) cleanly.

If a low-level call/delegatecall reverts, the reason may not bubble — use debug_traceTransaction (supported on this endpoint) for a full execution trace.

Archive data depth

This endpoint serves the full archive: balances, storage slots, and eth_call against any block since Frontier (July 2015). Ideal for indexers, accounting, and forensics.

Note: very old pre-Byzantium blocks (< 4,370,000) can be slower due to historical state proof complexity.

Try it now

Copy and run in your terminal:

curl -X POST https://rpcfree.com/ethereum-rpc \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'

Or click to test live:

Method: Response time: CU cost: 

        

      


      


      

        
        

          Official site
          Developer docs
          Execution API spec
          Explorer
        

      


      


      

        
Free vs Pro

        

          
            

              Limit
              Free (no signup)
              Etox Pro
            

          
          
            
CU / month10M300M

            
CU / day333,333unlimited

            
Req / sec10100

            
Archive depthfull (since block 0)full (since block 0)

            
trace / debug APIYesYes

            
Avg response time~80–150ms~30–60ms (dedicated)

            
API keynot requiredincluded

          
        

      


      


      

        Need more throughput?
        etox.io
        — Pro from $49/mo, 300M CU/month, 100 req/sec.
      


      


      

        
FAQ — Ethereum

        

          Why are my Ethereum transactions so expensive right now?
          
Ethereum’s transaction fees depend on network demand. When many people transact at the same time — during NFT mints, token launches, or DeFi liquidations — the base fee spikes. Outside peak hours, fees drop significantly. Check current gas prices on Etherscan Gas Tracker before sending.

          
To pay less: avoid weekday business hours (especially 12pm–8pm UTC), use Layer 2s like Base, Arbitrum, or Polygon for transfers under $1000, and set a lower maxPriorityFeePerGas (1–2 gwei is usually enough). Wallets like MetaMask let you customise gas — selecting “Low” can cut fees by 30–50% if you can wait a few minutes.

        

        

          How do I send a transaction faster on Ethereum?
          
Speed on Ethereum depends entirely on gas price relative to the current base fee. To prioritise your transaction:

          
    
            
  • Set maxFeePerGas to at least 2× the current base fee (headroom for spikes).
    • 
            
  • Set maxPriorityFeePerGas higher than typical — 3–5 gwei during congestion vs 1 gwei normally.
    • 
            
  • Avoid sending during peak congestion if it is not urgent.
    • 
          

          
Wallets show “Fast / Average / Slow” options that adjust these automatically. “Fast” usually means included in 1–2 blocks (12–24 seconds); “Average” 3–5 blocks (~1 minute).

        

        

          What’s the difference between Ethereum and other “Ethereum” chains like Polygon, Base, or Arbitrum?
          
Ethereum (Mainnet) is the original — the most decentralised and secure, but slower and more expensive. The others are Layer 2s or sidechains built on top:

          
    
            
  • Base and Arbitrum are Layer 2 rollups: cheaper and faster, but rely on Ethereum for final security.
    • 
            
  • Polygon PoS is a sidechain with its own validators, bridged to Ethereum.
    • 
          

          
All four use ETH (or similar EVM mechanics), accept the same wallets like MetaMask, and run the same smart contract code. The same Solidity contract can deploy to any. Choose Ethereum for max security and liquidity (DeFi blue chips); choose L2s for cheap everyday transactions.

        

        

          Why does my transaction say “Pending” for hours on Ethereum?
          
Three common causes:

          
    
            
  1. Gas price too low. The network has moved on and your tx’s maxFeePerGas is below the current base fee. It may eventually clear when fees drop, or stay pending until you cancel or replace it.
    2. 
            
  2. Nonce gap. An earlier transaction got stuck and is blocking later ones. Future transactions wait until that one resolves.
    3. 
            
  3. Network never received it. Sometimes RPC errors cause the tx to fail propagation silently.
    4. 
          

          
Open your wallet, find the pending transaction, and either “Speed Up” (resend with higher gas) or “Cancel” (replace with a 0-value tx to yourself at the same nonce). MetaMask and most modern wallets expose this.

        

        

          Is Ethereum safe? Can I lose my money?
          
The Ethereum network itself has never been hacked at the protocol level since launching in 2015. However, you can lose funds through:

          
    
            
  • Phishing scams — fake sites that ask you to “connect wallet” and approve malicious transactions.
    • 
            
  • Smart contract bugs — flawed dApps where attackers drain funds.
    • 
            
  • Lost seed phrases — there is no password recovery; if you lose your 12-word phrase, the wallet is gone.
    • 
            
  • Approving malicious tokens — granting unlimited spending to bad contracts.
    • 
          

          
Best practices: store seed phrases offline (paper or hardware wallet like Ledger), revoke unused token approvals at revoke.cash, double-check URLs before connecting, and never share your seed phrase with anyone — not even “support.”

        

        

          How do I check if an Ethereum transaction was successful?
          
Copy the transaction hash (starts with 0x…) and paste it into Etherscan. You’ll see:

          
    
            
  • Status: Success (green) or Fail (red).
    • 
            
  • Block number (confirms it is on-chain).
    • 
            
  • Gas used and fee paid.
    • 
            
  • From / To addresses and the value transferred.
    • 
            
  • Internal transactions if it called a smart contract.
    • 
          

          
If a transaction failed, Etherscan shows the revert reason — usually a short message from the contract. Common reasons: “insufficient funds,” “transfer amount exceeds balance,” or “execution reverted.”