eth_accounts - Ethereum

Retrieve a list of Ethereum account addresses owned by the client using eth_accounts. Useful for displaying available accounts in dApps without requesting wallet access.

The eth_accounts method in the Ethereum JSON-RPC protocol retrieves a list of Ethereum account addresses owned by the client.

This method is particularly useful in Web3 applications that need to access and display the available accounts for actions such as signing transactions or interacting with smart contracts. Unlike eth_requestAccounts, which is used to request access to accounts in a MetaMask-enabled Web3 environment, eth_accounts simply returns accounts already available to the client.

Supported Networks

The eth_accounts RPC Ethereum method supports the following network types

• Mainnet

• Testnet: Sepolia, Holesky

Parameters

This method does not accept any parameters

Request

URL

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

To retrieve the list of accounts, use the following eth_accounts request with the JSON-RPC API

curl

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

wss

wscat -c wss://eth.getblock.io/YOUR-API-KEY/ 
# wait for connection and send the request body 
{"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"method": "eth_accounts",
"params": [],
"id": "getblock.io"}

Response

Here’s a sample response for the eth_accounts method, providing an array of Ethereum addresses

{
    "result": "null",
    "id": "getblock.io",
    "status_code": 405,
    "message": "Method not allowed"
}

Body Params

Since eth_accounts does not require body parameters, it is often a straightforward call to integrate when accessing the client’s accounts for Web3 applications.

Use Case

The eth_accounts method is commonly used in dApps and Web3 applications to retrieve a list of Ethereum accounts already accessible to the client. It allows applications to display accounts for actions like sending transactions, signing data, or interacting with Ethereum smart contracts without requiring additional user permissions each time.

In contrast, eth_requestAccounts requests explicit user permission to access accounts, typically used when the app first needs access or when permissions are revoked. The main difference is that eth_accounts returns already available accounts, while eth_requestAccounts prompts the user for approval.

Understanding this distinction is important for creating secure Web3 applications, as eth_accounts offers a seamless user experience, whereas eth_requestAccounts ensures user control over wallet access.\

Code Example

Here is an example of how to use the eth_accounts method in Python to retrieve a list of client-owned addresses

Python

import requests
import json

url = "https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/"
headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}
payload = {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_accounts",
    "params": [],
    "id": "getblock.io"
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(payload))

# Check the response and print the list of accounts
if response.status_code == 200:
    accounts = response.json().get("result", [])
    print("Available Accounts:", accounts)
else:
    print("Error:", response.status_code, response.text)

JavaScript

const axios = require('axios');

// Define the API URL and headers
const url = "https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/";
const headers = { "Content-Type": "application/json" };

// Prepare the request payload
const payload = {
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    method: "eth_accounts",
    params: [],
    id: "getblock.io"
};

// Send the POST request
axios.post(url, payload, { headers })
    .then(response => {
        if (response.status === 200) {
            // Extract the list of accounts from the response
            const accounts = response.data.result || [];
            console.log("Available Accounts:", accounts);
        } else {
            // Handle unexpected HTTP statuses
            console.error("Error:", response.status, response.statusText);
        }
    })
    .catch(error => {
        // Handle network or server errors
        console.error("Error:", error.response ? error.response.data : error.message);
    });

In this Python example, we use eth_accounts to retrieve the list of accounts currently accessible to the client. This functionality can be essential in dApps or Web3 projects that need to interact with user wallets seamlessly without repeatedly requesting permissions from MetaMask or similar wallet extensions.In case of an error, such as when the eth_accounts request fails, the response may contain an error code or message, which can help troubleshoot the issue. For example, a 405 Method Not Allowed error indicates that the requested method is not allowed on the server. Handling eth_accounts errors properly ensures the smooth functioning of Web3 applications that depend on client accounts for interaction.