> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cdp.coinbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Node Quickstart

export const NodePlaygroundQuickstart = () => {
  return <>
      <p>CDP Node provides RPC endpoints for Base. With Node, you can:</p>
      <ul>
        <li>Read blockchain state (blocks, transactions, balances, smart contract data)</li>
        <li>Send transactions to the network</li>
        <li>Monitor events and subscribe to logs</li>
        <li>Call smart contracts on Base</li>
      </ul>
      <p>Let's make your first blockchain call using the <strong>Node Playground</strong> in CDP Portal.</p>
      <Steps>
        <Step title="Open Node Playground">
          Navigate to <a href="https://portal.cdp.coinbase.com/products/node">Node</a> in Portal.
        </Step>
        
        <Step title="Run the RPC call">
          The playground has a prefilled <code>eth_blockNumber</code> call. Click <strong>Run</strong> to get the current block number on Base.

          See results in milliseconds! ⚡

          <Frame>
            <img src="/data/images/node-playground-rpc-call.png" alt="Node Playground RPC call results showing current block number" />
          </Frame>
        </Step>
      </Steps>
    </>;
};

Get started with CDP Node in minutes. This guide shows you how to get your RPC endpoint and make your first blockchain request—both in the browser playground and programmatically in your code.

## Prerequisites

* A free [CDP account](https://portal.cdp.coinbase.com/)

That's it! No complex setup, no infrastructure to manage.

## 1. Try it in the playground

<NodePlaygroundQuickstart />

## 2. Get your RPC endpoint

To use Node in your application, you need an **RPC endpoint URL**. This is the web address where you send blockchain requests—think of it like an API endpoint, but specifically for blockchain operations.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Node">
    Go to the [Node page](https://portal.cdp.coinbase.com/products/node) in CDP Portal.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your network">
    Choose your target network from the dropdown:

    * **Base Mainnet** - For production applications
    * **Base Sepolia** - For development and testing

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/coinbase-prod/kTyZlKSi8mNup8M7/data/images/node-select-network.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=kTyZlKSi8mNup8M7&q=85&s=e963fc4c4ccc45a37267d4ffc678623e" alt="Network selection dropdown in Node configuration" width="839" height="219" data-path="data/images/node-select-network.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy your endpoint URL">
    Copy the displayed RPC endpoint URL. It will look like:

    ```
    https://api.developer.coinbase.com/rpc/v1/base/YOUR_CLIENT_API_KEY
    ```

    The Client API key is automatically included in the URL for authentication.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  **About Client API Keys**

  Your RPC endpoint URL includes a Client API key, which is designed for client-side use and is safe to include in frontend code. For more details, see [Client API Key](/api-reference/v2/authentication#client-api-key).
</Info>

## 3. Make your first request

Now let's make your first blockchain request programmatically. We'll query the current block number on Base.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="cURL">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.developer.coinbase.com/rpc/v1/base/YOUR_CLIENT_API_KEY \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{
        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
        "id": 1,
        "method": "eth_blockNumber"
      }'
    ```

    Response:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "jsonrpc": "2.0",
      "id": 1,
      "result": "0x12a4b2c"
    }
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="JavaScript (fetch)">
    ```javascript theme={null}
    const rpcUrl = "https://api.developer.coinbase.com/rpc/v1/base/YOUR_CLIENT_API_KEY";

    const response = await fetch(rpcUrl, {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        jsonrpc: "2.0",
        id: 1,
        method: "eth_blockNumber",
      }),
    });

    const data = await response.json();
    console.log("Current block:", parseInt(data.result, 16));
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python">
    ```python theme={null}
    import requests
    import json

    rpc_url = "https://api.developer.coinbase.com/rpc/v1/base/YOUR_CLIENT_API_KEY"

    payload = {
        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
        "id": 1,
        "method": "eth_blockNumber"
    }

    response = requests.post(rpc_url, json=payload)
    result = response.json()

    # Convert hex to decimal
    block_number = int(result["result"], 16)
    print(f"Current block: {block_number}")
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Node.js">
    ```javascript theme={null}
    const https = require("https");

    const rpcUrl = "https://api.developer.coinbase.com/rpc/v1/base/YOUR_CLIENT_API_KEY";

    const payload = JSON.stringify({
      jsonrpc: "2.0",
      id: 1,
      method: "eth_blockNumber",
    });

    const options = {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
    };

    const req = https.request(rpcUrl, options, (res) => {
      let data = "";
      res.on("data", (chunk) => (data += chunk));
      res.on("end", () => {
        const result = JSON.parse(data);
        console.log("Current block:", parseInt(result.result, 16));
      });
    });

    req.write(payload);
    req.end();
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Tip>
  **Using Ethereum libraries?** Node works with any Ethereum-compatible library like ethers.js, viem, web3.js, or web3.py. Just use your RPC endpoint URL as the provider.
</Tip>

## What to read next

* **[Core EVM Methods](/api-reference/json-rpc-api/core)**: Explore all available JSON-RPC methods
* **[Paymaster Methods](/api-reference/json-rpc-api/paymaster)**: Learn how to sponsor gas fees for your users
* **[Wallet History Methods](/api-reference/json-rpc-api/wallet-history)**: Query historical wallet data
* **[Rate Limits](/data/node/overview#rate-limits)**: Understand your usage limits and request increases
* **[CDP Discord](https://discord.com/channels/1220414409550336183/1222183017284501535)**: Join #node for support and to request rate limit increases