Farbeam and RPC providers
An RPC provider gives you access to a blockchain node over JSON-RPC. Alchemy, Infura, QuickNode and Helius are well-known examples, and public endpoints such as PublicNode exist too. Farbeam is a client of such services. Its own pollers read from free public endpoints and Helius, so it is one layer above them and depends on them.
Farbeam does not offer RPC access. You cannot call eth_call through it, and you cannot send a transaction through it.
#Comparison by capability
| Capability | RPC provider, in general | Farbeam |
|---|---|---|
| Raw JSON-RPC methods | Yes | No |
| Send a transaction | Yes | No |
| Read any contract state | Yes | No. Only the fields in its endpoints |
| Read any log on the chain | Yes, within provider range limits | No. Only curated-token logs over limited ranges |
| Archive state at old blocks | Commonly offered | No |
| Traces and debug methods | Commonly offered | No |
| Chains | Often many, including testnets | Seven mainnets, no testnets |
| WebSocket subscriptions | Commonly offered | No. SSE only, for large transfers and blocks |
| Reliability commitments | Often offered on paid plans | No SLA |
| USD value on each transfer | Not part of JSON-RPC | Yes, price at indexing |
| Curated labels on addresses | Not part of JSON-RPC | Yes, 54 public addresses |
| Stored index of large transfers | You build it | Yes, 7 days |
| Token checks from several sources | You build it | Yes |
| Alert rules with signed webhooks | Some offer webhook products | Yes, Beamline |
#What it takes to build the Farbeam index yourself
This is the part Farbeam saves you, and it is small enough that you may prefer to own it.
- Poll
eth_getBlockByNumberandeth_getLogsper chain with theTransfertopic0xddf252ad1be2c89b69c2b068fc378daa952ba7f163c4a11628f55a4df523b3ef. - Filter by token contract, decode the amount with the right decimals, and multiply by a price.
- Store rows above a threshold, and remove duplicates by transaction hash and log index.
- Handle failed RPC calls, range limits and restarts.
- Add labels and rules.
With a paid RPC plan you can do this with more coverage than Farbeam has. For example, you can scan every Arbitrum block, keep a complete record, and add all tokens. On 2026-11-04 Farbeam scanned about 71% of Arbitrum blocks in a measured sample, because of its 41-block window. See the platform page.
#Use an RPC provider instead when
- You write to the chain, or you need to simulate a transaction.
- You need any contract call or log that Farbeam does not expose.
- You need complete block coverage, or a token outside the curated list.
- You need archive reads, traces or testnets.
- You need a contract about uptime or support.
- You need a sub-second reaction. Farbeam polls every 12 to 30 seconds, so it is not suited to that.
#Where Farbeam can help
| Task | Without Farbeam | With Farbeam |
|---|---|---|
| Show who received a large USDC transfer | Index logs, price them, add labels | One GET /transfers call |
| Check a token's contract flags | Call GoPlus and others, and handle absent fields | One GET /tokens call |
| Decode ERC-20 transfers of one transaction | Read the receipt, fetch decimals | One GET /tx call |
| Get fees on seven chains | Seven calls | One GET /gas call |
| Prototype without a billing account | Register with a provider | Call the API with no key, then sign in with a Solana wallet for a free key |
A prototype can begin on Farbeam and later move to its own node access when the coverage limits start to matter. That is a reasonable path and nothing locks you in.
The description of RPC providers on this page is general and is not a review of a product. Check each product for its current features and terms.