Here is a detailed article explaining how Metamask queries the balance of an ETH address from an RPC node:
Understanding Metamask Queries for Ethereum Address Balance
Metamask is a popular Ethereum wallet extension that allows users to interact with the Ethereum blockchain from within the browser. However, it also provides a way to query the balance of an Ethereum address from a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) node, which can be useful in various scenarios, such as testing, development, and debugging.
In this article, we will detail how Metamask queries the balance of an ETH address from an RPC node using CURL and provide an overview of what is involved.
Metamask API Call: eth balance'
When you call theeth balance’ method on a Metamask RPC node, it returns a list of Ethereum addresses and their corresponding balances. The response typically includes the following fields:
0x: address
Balance': current balance of the address
Here is an example of what the API call might look like using CURL:
curl -X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"method": "eth_balance", "args": ["0x1234567890abcdef"], "jsonrpc": "2.0"}'
In this example:
- The POST
method is used to send a POST request to the RPC node.
- TheContent-Type: application/json’ header specifies that the response should be in JSON format.
- The parameter
{"method": "eth_balance", "args": ["0x1234567890abcdef"], "jsonrpc": "2.0"}is the Metamask API call, which defines the query method (in this case,eth_balance), the arguments for that method (E0 ), and the JSON RPC protocol version (“2.0”).
Metamask RPC Node Response
The response from Metamask typically includes the following information:
- address’: the Ethereum address being queried
balance': the current balance of the address
Here is an example of what the response might look like:
{
"method": "eth_balance",
"args": ["0x1234567890abcdef"],
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"result": 1000000
}
In this example:
- The
addressfield is set to the ETH address being queried ("0x1234567890abcdef").
- The
balancefield is set to the current balance of the address (1000000).
What is involved in querying the Metamask RPC node
To query the balance of an ETH address from an RPC node using Metamask, you need to:
- Create a JSON payload with the method name and arguments (in this case,
eth_balancefor the ETH address0x1234567890abcdef).
- Send the payload as a POST request to the RPC node.
- Receive the response from the RPC node, which includes the balance information.
By understanding how Metamask queries the balance of an ETH address from an RPC node using CURL, you can use this method in various scenarios, such as testing, developing, and debugging Ethereum applications.
I hope this article was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions or need further clarification.
