Arbitrum (ARB)

Arbitrum Network API Reference for efficient interaction with ARB nodes, enabling fast, low-cost Layer 2 scaling solutions for Ethereum with high throughput and secure smart contracts.

Overview

Arbitrum is a suite of Ethereum Layer 2 scaling technologies built on the Arbitrum Nitro tech stack that includes Arbitrum One (a live implementation of the Arbitrum Rollup Protocol) and Arbitrum Nova (a live implementation of the Arbitrum AnyTrust Protocol).

Arbitrum chains are EVM-compatible blockchains that use an underlying EVM chain (e.g., Ethereum) for settlement and succinct fraud proofs (as needed). You can use Arbitrum chains to do everything you do on Ethereum—use Web3 apps, deploy smart contracts, etc., but your transactions will be cheaper and faster.

Key Features

1. High Throughput & Low Fees: Arbitrum offers faster transaction speeds and significantly lower fees than the Ethereum mainnet, while maintaining EVM support, making it ideal for high-volume applications like DeFi or gaming.

2. EVM Compatibility: Arbitrum chains are Ethereum-compatible and allow you to deploy Solidity smart contracts, as well as Vyper and other languages that compile to EVM bytecode.

3. Extended Language Support (Stylus): The latest version of the Arbitrum tech stack, called Stylus, maintains Nitro's Ethereum compatibility while enabling the development of highly performant smart contracts in programming languages such as Rust, C++, and C.

4. Fraud-Proof Security: The Arbitrum Rollup Protocol is a trustless, permissionless protocol that uses its underlying base layer for data availability and inherits its security.

5. Cross-Chain Interactions: Every Arbitrum chain includes a bridge to/from its parent chain. Arbitrum enables easy cross-chain interactions, asset transfers, and data exchange with Ethereum and other EVM-compatible networks, fostering a connected ecosystem for multi-chain dApps.

TECHNICAL DISCLAIMER: AUTHORITATIVE JSON-RPC API SPECIFICATION.

GetBlock's RPC API reference documentation is provided exclusively for informational purposes and to optimize the developer experience. The canonical and normative specification for Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) JSON-RPC methods is solely maintained and published through the official Ethereum Foundation documentation portal at ethereum.org. This resource constitutes the sole authoritative reference implementation of the JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol interface across EVM-compatible execution clients.

Supported Network

Network	Chain ID	JSON	WSS
Mainnet	42161	✔	✔
Sepolia	421614	✔	✔
Nova	42170	✔	✔

Base URL

New York, USA

https://go.getblock.us/

Franfurt, Germany

Quickstart

In this section, you will learn how to make your first call with either:

• Axios

• Python

Quickstart with Axios

Before you begin, you must have already installed npm or yarn on your local machine. If not, check out npm or yarn.

1. Set up your project using this command:

npm

mkdir arbitrum-api-quickstart
cd arbitrum-api-quickstart
npm init --yes

yarn

This creates a project directory named aptos-api-quickstart and initialises a Node.js project within it.

1. Install Axios using this command:

npm

npm install axios

yarn

1. Create a new file and name it index.js. This is where you will make your first call.

2. Set the ES module "type": "module" in your package.json.

3. Add the following code to the file (index.js):

   import axios from 'axios'
   let data = JSON.stringify({
     jsonrpc: "2.0",
     method: "eth_blockNumber",
     params: [],
     id: "getblock.io",
   });
   
   let config = {
     method: "post",
     maxBodyLength: Infinity,
     url: "https://go.getblock.us/<ACCESS_TOKEN>",
     headers: {
       "Content-Type": "application/json",
     },
     data: data,
   };
   
   axios
     .request(config)
     .then((response) => {
       console.log(JSON.stringify(response.data));
     })
     .catch((error) => {
       console.log(error);
     });
   

   Replace <ACCESS_TOKEN> with your actual access token from GetBlock.

4. Run the script:

   node index.js

   The sequence number and authentication key log in your console like this:

   {
       "jsonrpc": "2.0",
       "id": "getblock.io",
       "result": "0x183037af"
   }

Quickstart with Python and Requests

Before you begin, you must have installed Python and Pip on your local machine.

1. Set up your project using this command:

   mkdir arbitrum-api-quickstart
   cd arbitrum-api-quickstart

2. Set up a virtual environment to isolate dependencies:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  
   # On Windows, use venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install the requests library:

   pip install requests

4. Create a new file called main.py and insert the following code:

   import requests
   import json
   
   url = "https://go.getblock.us/<ACCESS_TOKEN>"
   
   payload = json.dumps({
     "jsonrpc": "2.0",
     "method": "eth_blockNumber",
     "params": [],
     "id": "getblock.io"
   })
   headers = {
     'Content-Type': 'application/json'
   }
   
   response = requests.request("POST", url, headers=headers, data=payload)
   
   print(response.text)
   

   Replace <ACCESS_TOKEN> with your actual access token from GetBlock.

5. Run the script:

   python main.py