JSON-RPC Methods
186 methods across 23 namespaces available on Subtensor nodes
Understanding JSON-RPC
What is JSON-RPC? JSON-RPC is the primary protocol for communicating with a
Subtensor node. Methods are grouped into namespaces like state, chain, and author that cover reading state, navigating blocks, and submitting extrinsics.
Both v1 and v2 methods are available. Subtensor nodes expose legacy v1
methods and several v2 namespaces (chainHead_v1, chainSpec_v1, transaction_v1, transactionWatch_v1). Only archive_unstable_* is absent.
Archive vs pruned nodes: Methods accepting an at block hash for historical
queries require an archive node. Pruned nodes only retain ~256 recent blocks. See /learn/technical/query-stack for details.
account
1 methodAlias for system account queries.
author
9 methodsSubmit extrinsics and manage session keys. The entry point for writing to the chain.
chain
19 methodsRead block data, headers, and finalization status. The primary way to navigate the chain history.
chainHead_v1
9 methodsSubstrate JSON-RPC v2 chain head tracking. Follow and query the best chain.
chainSpec_v1
3 methodsSubstrate JSON-RPC v2 chain specification queries.
childstate
7 methodsQuery child storage tries. Used internally by some pallets for nested storage.
debug
5 methodsEVM debug methods for inspecting blocks and transactions.
delegateInfo
3 methodsSubtensor-specific: query delegate information via runtime API.
eth
45 methodsEthereum JSON-RPC compatibility layer. Standard EVM methods for interacting with Subtensor's EVM.
net
3 methodsEthereum network information.
neuronInfo
4 methodsSubtensor-specific: query neuron data via runtime API.
offchain
3 methodsOffchain worker local storage access.
payment
2 methodsFee estimation for extrinsics before submission.
rpc
1 methodIntrospection — list available RPC methods on this node.
state
23 methodsQuery runtime state, storage, and metadata. The workhorse namespace for reading chain data.
subnetInfo
18 methodsSubtensor-specific: query subnet configuration, metagraphs, and hyperparameters via runtime API.
subscribe
1 methodLegacy subscription alias.
swap
3 methodsSubtensor-specific: TAO/Alpha token swap simulation and pricing.
system
20 methodsNode health, version, peers, and properties. Useful for monitoring and diagnostics.
transaction_v1
2 methodsSubstrate JSON-RPC v2 transaction broadcasting.
transactionWatch_v1
2 methodsSubstrate JSON-RPC v2 transaction status watching.
unsubscribe
1 methodLegacy unsubscribe alias.
web3
2 methodsEthereum Web3 utility methods.
For Developers
Call RPC methods directly with curl or via polkadot.js:
# curl — check node health
curl -s -X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"system_health","params":[]}' \
https://entrypoint-finney.opentensor.ai
# polkadot.js — query storage
const { ApiPromise, WsProvider } = require('@polkadot/api');
const api = await ApiPromise.create({
provider: new WsProvider('wss://entrypoint-finney.opentensor.ai:443')
});
// Read a storage value
const hash = await api.rpc.chain.getFinalizedHead();
const block = await api.rpc.chain.getBlock(hash);
console.log('Block number:', block.block.header.number.toNumber());
// Subscribe to new blocks
api.rpc.chain.subscribeNewHeads((header) => {
console.log('New block:', header.number.toNumber());
});Methods marked unsafe require running the node with --rpc-methods unsafe. Methods
marked subscription require a WebSocket connection.