> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.getblock.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.getblock.io/api-reference/arc/eth_blocknumber-arc.md).

# eth\_blockNumber - ARC

Example code for the eth\_blockNumber JSON-RPC method. Complete guide on how to use eth\_blockNumber JSON-RPC in GetBlock Web3 documentation.

This method returns the number of the most recent block on Arc. It is the cheapest call for determining the current chain tip and is the standard way to poll for new blocks. Arc produces blocks approximately every 2 seconds.

## Parameters

* None

## Request Example

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="cURL" %}

```bash
curl --location --request POST 'https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_blockNumber",
    "params": [],
    "id": "getblock.io"
}'
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (Axios)" %}

```javascript
import axios from 'axios';

const data = JSON.stringify({
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_blockNumber",
    "params": [],
    "id": "getblock.io"
});

const config = {
    method: 'post',
    url: 'https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/',
    headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    data: data
};

axios(config)
    .then(response => console.log(JSON.stringify(response.data, null, 2)))
    .catch(error => console.log(error));
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Python (Requests)" %}

```python
import requests
import json

url = "https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/"

payload = json.dumps({
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_blockNumber",
    "params": [],
    "id": "getblock.io"
})

headers = {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=payload)
print(response.text)
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Rust (Reqwest)" %}

```rust
use reqwest::Client;
use serde_json::json;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let client = Client::new();

    let payload = json!({
        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
        "method": "eth_blockNumber",
        "params": [],
        "id": "getblock.io"
});

    let response = client
        .post("https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/")
        .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
        .json(&payload)
        .send()
        .await?;

    let result: serde_json::Value = response.json().await?;
    println!("{:#?}", result);

    Ok(())
}
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Response Example

```json
{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": "getblock.io",
    "result": "0xa7d8c"
}
```

## Response Parameters

| Field   | Type   | Description                        |
| ------- | ------ | ---------------------------------- |
| jsonrpc | string | JSON-RPC protocol version (`2.0`)  |
| id      | string | Request identifier echoed back     |
| result  | string | Latest block number in hexadecimal |

## Use Cases

* Polling for new blocks in indexers and payments processors
* Determining the current chain tip before making other calls
* Health-checking the RPC endpoint
* Computing confirmation depth (note: Arc has deterministic finality, so depth-based confirmation is less critical than on probabilistic chains)

## Error Handling

| Status Code | Error Message     | Cause                                       |
| ----------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| 403         | Forbidden         | Missing or invalid `<ACCESS-TOKEN>`         |
| -32602      | Invalid params    | Request parameters are missing or malformed |
| -32601      | Method not found  | The method is not supported by this node    |
| 429         | Too Many Requests | Rate limit exceeded for your plan           |

## SDK Integration

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Ethers.js" %}

```javascript
import { ethers } from 'ethers';

const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider('https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/');

const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
console.log('Latest block:', blockNumber);
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Viem" %}

```javascript
import { createPublicClient, http, defineChain } from 'viem';

const arcTestnet = defineChain({
    id: 5042002,
    name: 'Arc Testnet',
    nativeCurrency: { name: 'USD Coin', symbol: 'USDC', decimals: 6 },
    rpcUrls: { default: { http: ['https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/'] } }
});

const client = createPublicClient({
    chain: arcTestnet,
    transport: http('https://shared.eu-central-1.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/')
});

const blockNumber = await client.getBlockNumber();
console.log('Latest block:', blockNumber);
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}