# getchaintips - Bitcoin

This method returns information about all known tips in the block tree, including the main chain and orphaned branches.

### Parameters

* None

### Request

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

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

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Axios" %}

```javascript
import axios from 'axios';

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

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

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

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Request" %}

```python
import requests
import json

url = "https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/"

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

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

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

```python
message = "hello world"
print(message)
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Rust" %}

```rust
use reqwest::header;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let client = reqwest::Client::new();
    
    let response = client
        .post("https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/")
        .header(header::CONTENT_TYPE, "application/json")
        .body(r#"{
            "jsonrpc": "2.0",
            "method": "getchaintips",
            "params": [],
            "id": "getblock.io"
        }"#)
        .send()
        .await?;
    
    println!("{}", response.text().await?);
    Ok(())
}
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Response

```json
{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": "getblock.io",
    "result": [
        {
            "height": 820000,
            "hash": "000000000000000000046b9302e08c16ea186950f42a5498320ddd1bd7ab3428",
            "branchlen": 0,
            "status": "active"
        },
        {
            "height": 819998,
            "hash": "000000000000000000047c9402e08c16ea186950f42a5498320ddd1bd7ab3425",
            "branchlen": 1,
            "status": "valid-fork"
        },
        {
            "height": 819990,
            "hash": "000000000000000000048d9502e08c16ea186950f42a5498320ddd1bd7ab3420",
            "branchlen": 3,
            "status": "headers-only"
        }
    ]
}
```

### Response Parameters

| Field     | Type   | Description                                                                                 |
| --------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| height    | number | Height of the chain tip.                                                                    |
| hash      | string | Block hash of the tip.                                                                      |
| branchlen | number | Length of branch connecting to main chain (0 for main chain).                               |
| status    | string | Status of the chain: "active", "valid-fork", "valid-headers", "headers-only", or "invalid". |

| Status        | Description                                                         |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| active        | This is the tip of the most-work chain.                             |
| valid-fork    | This branch is not part of the active chain but is fully validated. |
| valid-headers | Headers are valid but block data not available.                     |
| headers-only  | Only headers received, not validated.                               |
| invalid       | Block or one of its ancestors is invalid.                           |

### Use Case

The `getchaintips` method is essential for:

* Monitoring chain reorganizations
* Detecting potential 51% attacks
* Analyzing blockchain forks
* Building chain visualization tools
* Debugging node synchronization issues
* Monitoring network consensus

### Error Handling

| Status Code | Error Message       | Cause                            |
| ----------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| 403         | RBAC: access denied | Missing or invalid ACCESS-TOKEN. |

### Integration With Web3

The `getchaintips` method helps developers:

* Build chain reorganization monitors
* Create fork detection systems
* Implement consensus monitoring
* Visualize blockchain structure
* Analyze chain competition


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.getblock.io/api-reference/bitcoin-btc/btc_getchaintips.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.