eth_blockNumber on Ethereum
Returns the latest block height the node has synced. The cheapest and most common health/poll call — used to confirm an endpoint is live and at chain tip.
Because it only reads the head, it's the ideal liveness/lag probe: poll it and compare against a second source to catch a stalled or forked node. It takes no block tag and answers instantly even on pruned nodes.
Ethereum endpoint (public — no key)
https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/publicMethod
eth_blockNumber
Cost
1 CU
Chain ID
1
Block time
~12 s
Finality
~13 min (finalized)
Blocks on Ethereum
Ethereum produces a block every ~12 seconds, and the safe/finalized tags are meaningful here: finalized lags the head by two epochs (~13 minutes). Use finalized for exchange-grade confirmation logic and latest for UI reads.
Parameters
None.cURL
curl https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public \
-X POST \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'ethers.js
import { ethers } from 'ethers';
const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider(
'https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public'
);
const result = await provider.send('eth_blockNumber', []);Try it live
Runs the example above against the public Ethereum endpoint — straight from your browser.
eth_blockNumber on Ethereum — FAQ
How do I call eth_blockNumber on Ethereum?
POST a JSON-RPC 2.0 request with "method": "eth_blockNumber" to NodeFlare's Ethereum endpoint at https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public. No API key is required for the public endpoint.
What does eth_blockNumber cost on the free tier?
eth_blockNumber is weighted at 1 compute unit per call. The free tier includes 2,000,000 CU/month, so that is roughly 2,000,000 eth_blockNumber calls per month — no credit card.
Is eth_blockNumber available on the public Ethereum endpoint?
Yes. eth_blockNumber works on the public Ethereum endpoint (https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public) with no API key, rate-limited per IP. A free key adds higher limits and a dedicated path.
Anything Ethereum-specific to know when using eth_blockNumber?
Ethereum produces a block every ~12 seconds, and the safe/finalized tags are meaningful here: finalized lags the head by two epochs (~13 minutes). Use finalized for exchange-grade confirmation logic and latest for UI reads.
Call eth_blockNumber on Ethereum with a free key
2,000,000 compute units/month, heavy methods unlocked, every chain included. No credit card.
Get your free API key →