eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber - Ethereum

Retrieve the number of transactions in a specific Ethereum block by its block number using eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber. Useful for real-time data and historical block activity analysis.

The eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber method is a part of the Ethereum Core API that allows users to retrieve the number of transactions in a specific block using its block number.

By leveraging the JSON RPC protocol, this method facilitates requests to query the Ethereum blockchain, providing insights into the volume of transactions within a given block. This is especially useful for applications requiring real-time data or historical analysis of block activity.

Supported Networks

The eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber RPC Ethereum method works on the following Ethereum network types:

• Mainnet

• Testnet: Sepolia, Holesky

This method is compatible across multiple Ethereum networks, ensuring that developers can request transaction counts on both the mainnet and various testnets.

Parameters

The eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber method accepts a single parameter:

• QUANTITY | TAG: This parameter can be an integer representing the block number or a string representing one of the special tags (latest, earliest, or pending). It specifies which block to query:

• • latest: The most recent mined block.

  • earliest: The first block in the chain (genesis block).

  • pending: The next block expected to be mined.

This flexibility allows users to request the transaction count for a specific block number or a dynamic block based on its state in the chain.

Request Example

URL (API Endpoint)

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

Here is an example request using JSON RPC to fetch the number of transactions in a specific block

curl

curl --location --request POST 'https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/' 
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' 
--data-raw {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber",
    "params": [
        "0x52A8CA"
    ],
    "id": "getblock.io"
}

ws

wscat -c wss://eth.getblock.io/YOUR-API-KEY/ 
# wait for connection and send the request body 
{"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"method": "eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber",
"params": ["0x52A8CA"],
"id": "getblock.io"}

In this example, we are querying the block with the hexadecimal number "0x52A8CA". This request asks for the total number of transactions in the specified block.

Response Example

The response from the eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber method will look like this:

{
    "id": "getblock.io",
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": "0x49"
}

Response Description

The eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber method returns the value of the transaction count in hexadecimal format. The response fields include:

• id: The unique identifier for the request.

• jsonrpc: The version of the JSON RPC protocol used.

• result: The number of transactions in the block, represented as a hexadecimal value.

For example, "result": "0x49" signifies that there are 73 transactions within the specified block.

Use Case

The eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber method is commonly used in scenarios where an application needs to determine the transaction volume of a particular block. It is useful for building analytics tools, blockchain explorers, and monitoring systems that need to provide real-time or historical data on the number of transactions per block.

For instance, a blockchain explorer might use this method to display the transaction count for each block on its overview page, or a monitoring system could use it to identify blocks with unusually high transaction counts.

Code Example

Here’s how you can use Web3 eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber in a JavaScript environment to retrieve the transaction count of a specific block number:

Python

import requests
import json

# Define the API URL and access token
url = 'https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/'
headers = {'Content-Type': 'application/json'}

# Prepare the request data
data = {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber",
    "params": [
        "0x52A8CA"
    ],
    "id": "getblock.io"
}

# Send the POST request
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(data))

# Parse the JSON response
response_data = response.json()

# Print the result
print(json.dumps(response_data, indent=4))

JavaScript

const axios = require('axios');

// Replace <ACCESS-TOKEN> with your actual API key
const url = 'https://go.getblock.io/<ACCESS-TOKEN>/';

// Request payload
const requestBody = {
  jsonrpc: '2.0',
  method: 'eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber',
  params: ['0x52A8CA'], // Replace with the block number in hexadecimal
  id: 'getblock.io',
};

// Axios POST request
axios
  .post(url, requestBody, {
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
  })
  .then((response) => {
    const transactionCount = response.data.result;
    console.log(`Transaction Count: ${transactionCount}`);
  })
  .catch((error) => {
    console.error('Error fetching transaction count:', error.message);
  });

This Web3 eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber example demonstrates how to fetch the transaction count for a given block number using the Web3 library. The code handles errors gracefully by logging them, including cases where the eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber error might occur if the block number is invalid.

Common Errors

1. eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber error - This error may occur if the provided block number is invalid or out of range.

2. Invalid block number - If the block number is not a valid hexadecimal or integer, or it refers to a block that has not been mined yet, the JSON RPC server will return an error.

3. Network issues - If there are connectivity problems with the Core API or the JSON RPC endpoint, you may experience timeouts or other errors during the request.