Unstoppable Web3 development with Chainstack Elastic Nodes

Petar Stoykov

December 13, 2023

The world relies on infrastructure that can keep up with the velocity of information. And Web3 demands solutions that not only survive in this fast-paced environment but also thrive and lead.

At Chainstack, we’ve risen to this challenge with our award-winning Global Elastic Nodes. Part of our robust Web3 API solution, Chainstack Elastic Nodes push the boundaries of performance, reliability, and efficiency for decentralized infrastructure.

So, fasten your seatbelts! We’re about to voyage through this pioneering blockchain technology, brought to you by Chainstack.

Chainstack Elastic Nodes today

Since their debut in late June, Global Elastic Nodes have demonstrated remarkable efficacy. In just two short months, Chainstack Elastic Nodes managed to process an impressive tens of billions of monthly requests.

But beyond these striking numbers, what’s truly significant is their impact. Currently, they account for over 10% of our elastic nodes request usage. This increasing trend suggests that Global Elastic Nodes are rapidly becoming the preferred choice for developers, highlighting the growing reliance of the Web3 community on this state-of-the-art technology.

The relevance of these figures goes beyond mere numerical achievements. They epitomize the efficiency and convenience Global Elastic Nodes introduce to the blockchain domain. These metrics are a testament to the stability and assurance Chainstack Elastic Nodes deliver to Web3 developers.

Award-winning Elastic Nodes architecture

As developers ourselves, we understand the significance of a robust foundation for any digital solution. That’s exactly what we’ve engineered at Chainstack. Our award-winning elastic architecture has already made stellar waves for its trusted groundbreaking design, making it more than just a useful tool—it’s your reliable partner in building novel decentralized applications.

This architecture design was first unveiled as the “Unstoppable RPC Endpoint” project submission at the ETH Belgrade hackathon, then further built upon for ETHGlobal Istanbul earlier this year. Winning several awards at each occasion it is at the heart of our Global Elastic Nodes. Each node is a part of an advanced globally-distributed geo-load-balanced system designed to allocate the workload evenly across various nodes.

Addressing traditional RPC endpoint challenges

RPC endpoints are a critical component of any DApp, but they also come with challenges that can hinder development, such as poor performance, unreliability, and limited scalability. At Chainstack, we’ve identified these issues and tackled them head-on in our Unstoppable RPC Endpoint project, later culminating in our Global Elastic Nodes.

Figure 1: What makes our elastic architecture stand out; Source: ETHBelgrade hackathon slides

Chainstack Elastic Nodes aggregate multiple RPC endpoints and intelligently redirect requests, a measure that ensures optimal performance and uptime, so your DApp remains responsive and reliable. We’ve designed our elastic architecture to handle the complexities so that you can pay attention to what truly matters—building the future of Web3.

A commitment to unparalleled uptime

As Web3 developers ourselves, we know that every second of downtime can take a toll. Beyond the inconvenience, downtime can erode your users’ trust, affect your application’s reputation, and even result in potential loss of revenue. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to deliver an unrivaled uptime of 99.9%.

Figure 2: Unstoppable RPC Endpoint architecture; Source: ETHBelgrade hackathon repo

We’ve built our Global Elastic Nodes to be sturdy and reliable, using geo-load-balanced architecture to ensure consistent performance. Our intelligent rerouting mechanism instantly shifts the load to the next most performant node in case of any network-health issues, creating a seamless fallback chain. This makes sure you can rely on smooth, efficient, and, most importantly, consistent operations, even if the world around you is burning.

Your very own Elastic Archive Nodes time machine

Accessing and leveraging historical data are crucial aspects in the development of sophisticated DApps, particularly for blockchain developers working with high throughput per second (TPS) blockchains like Solana, which now has data spanning multiple terabytes. In turn, this also means an exponential rise in costs for calls to Archive Nodes and consequently project running costs.

Method multipliers can quickly deplete your quota, and often, by the time you notice, it’s already too late—an overcharged invoice is already sitting in your inbox. That is why we took extra care in designing our Elastic Archive Nodes for maximum cost-efficiency. And it is not a rare sight to see a 2-3x difference when you put the infrastructure bills side-by-side.

That is especially true for Debug & Trace methods, where costs can absolutely skyrocket, due to the complexity of each call. These APIs offer in-depth insights into transactions, block details, and the execution of smart contracts, greatly simplifying the process of pinpointing and fixing DApp issues. And Chainstack Archive Nodes shred the bill in half.

Whether it’s querying for certain patterns in past transactions or performing complex analytics, any Chainstack node you deploy is designed to handle the load. Our Elastic Archive Nodes offer an impressive 99.9% uptime too, ensuring consistent, uninterrupted access to vast historical records.

Total control with customizable Elastic Nodes infrastructure

As developers, we understand that one size doesn’t fit all. Every DApp is unique and therefore has different requirements when it comes to infrastructure. Recognizing this, we’ve created a solution that gives you the control you need over your environment.

Multi-chain Elastic Nodes by design

We understand the importance of having the flexibility to navigate and innovate across a multitude of blockchain protocols. Whether you are developing DeFi applications on Ethereum, creating next-gen digital assets on Polygon, or exploring the synergies of interoperability on Binance Smart Chain, our nodes are designed to support it all:

Regional nodes: Ethereum, Polygon, BNB, Base, Avalanche, Arbitrum, zkSync Era∎, Polygon zkEVM, Optimism, Oasis Sapphire, NEAR, Aurora, Solana, Aptos, Gnosis Chain, Cronos, Filecoin, Fantom, Starknet, Harmony, Tezos, Fuse, Scroll
Global nodes: Ethereum, Polygon, BNB, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Solana, Scroll, Fantom

With Chainstack, you get to focus on coding the future of the decentralized world, while we take care of providing the resilient, reliable, and robust infrastructure you need.

Pick the Elastic Nodes cloud that suits you best

When it comes to hosting your nodes, the choice is truly yours too. At Chainstack, we believe in providing you with the freedom to construct an environment that perfectly suits your requirements. You can build on the Chainstack Cloud, highly praised for its top-tier security and uptime, or you can opt for a managed cloud service—from AWS, GCP, Azure, and Virtuozzo to a bring-your-own-cloud setup.

Here’s a closer look at the hosting locations provided by each:

Amazon Web Services: With AWS, you can host your nodes in North Virginia, Oregon, Singapore, or Tokyo, providing a range of options spanning the globe.
Microsoft Azure: If Azure is your platform of choice, you can enjoy their managed services in London, taking advantage of their ubiquitous reliability and security features.
Google Cloud Platform: Those choosing to go down the GCP route have the option to host in Singapore, where the power of Google’s smart and secure cloud platform can be leveraged to full effect.
Virtuozzo: If optimum virtualization is your target, you can opt for Virtuozzo, currently hosting nodes in Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or Dallas.
Chainstack Cloud: Looking for our dedicated cloud services? We have you covered in Amsterdam and Ashburn, where we proudly offer our best-in-class security and uptime.
Bring-your-own-cloud: Select from 20+ regions available on Amazon EKS via private hosting, broadening the range of customization and ensuring a near-perfect match for your specific needs.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Rest assured, we’re always ready to expand our offerings to meet your needs. If you don’t see the hosting provider or location you require, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is committed to ensuring that your needs are catered to, allowing you to BUIDL your solutions on cloud services that you trust.

Lightning-fast propagation with Warp Transactions

Expect nothing less than warp speed when using our Global Elastic Nodes. We have geared our elastic architecture to provide exceptionally fast transaction propagation via bloXroute, up to 2.5 times quicker than standard P2P transactions via Warp Transactions.

For developers, this means your applications can deliver faster transaction experiences, which is particularly crucial in time-sensitive applications like DeFi, NFT minting, and gaming. With Chainstack, not only can you deliver more responsive applications, but you can also outpace your competitors and delight your end users.

Transparent and unbeatable Elastic Nodes pricing

Understanding your costs shouldn’t be a complex equation. At Chainstack, we champion transparency, especially when it comes to pricing. We’ve set the table with a straightforward, competitive structure that comes with no hidden surprises.

That is why we’ve made our pricing is competitive and accessible, ensuring that even developers with budget constraints don’t have to compromise on quality. There are no fees based on specific methods. For predictable monthly infrastructure costs, every API call to your node comes with a flat rate billed in Request Units (RU), regardless of the request type or the computational resources needed:

Elastic Full Node request: 1 RU
Elastic Archive Node request: 2 RUs

We offer a range of affordable commitment tiers to suit different needs, whether you’re a solo developer just starting out or an established organization looking for a wide array of services. And the best thing about it? You can create custom usage profiles with the pricing calculator and see how well Chainstack delivers versus the competition.

Our goal is to ease the toll of creating fantastic applications, not add to it. That means keeping costs down and value up while facilitating your ability to plan for and control your budget. By prioritizing accessibility and affordability, we aim to level the playing field, allowing developers of all sizes and budgets to bring their blockchain innovation to life.

Creating the next big thing in Web3 shouldn’t break the bank, and with Chainstack, it won’t. How would your on-premise costs fare against ours? Find out in our dedicated article on self-hosted Ethereum archive node costs.

Bringing it all together

The path towards blockchain adoption is an uncharted one, laden with complex challenges and immense promise. As we navigate this journey, we at Chainstack remain committed to being a reliable guide and partner for developers around the world.

Our Global Elastic Nodes featuring geo-load balancing are just one aspect of our larger mission to demystify the world of blockchain and accelerate the shift towards Web3. By providing robust, scalable, and reliable infrastructure for decentralized applications, we’re opening doors to limitless innovation.

With promised 99.99% uptime, comprehensive multi-chain support, customizable infrastructure, transparent pricing, and a whole host of additional features, we offer tools designed to empower developers. On top of these, our commitment to enhancing Web3 usability and constantly innovating reflects our dedication to the cause.

With these tools, the road ahead becomes clearer, and the challenges of developing on the blockchain become less daunting. As the landscape of Web3 continues to expand, you can count on Chainstack to be there with you every step of the way.

With Chainstack, you don’t just build on the blockchain. You shape the future of Web3.