KoinlyticsRPC (Remote Procedure Call) is the API a chain exposes so external software can query state and send transactions. Every wallet, every dApp, every script uses one. Most use Infura, Alchemy, or QuickNode without thinking about it.
What RPC calls look like
eth_getBalance: get an address's balance.eth_call: simulate a read-only contract call.eth_sendRawTransaction: broadcast a signed tx.eth_getLogs: query historical events.
Why RPC provider matters
- Privacy. Every wallet action goes through your RPC provider. They see your addresses, your balances, your transaction patterns.
- Censorship. A provider can drop or delay specific transactions (Tornado Cash addresses were blocked by Infura in 2022).
- Downtime. If your RPC is down, your wallet cannot broadcast. This has happened.
- Frontrunning. Some providers see your unsigned txs and could theoretically leak them to MEV searchers (denied but hard to verify).
Alternatives
- Public RPCs. Cloudflare, Chainstack, Ankr, LlamaNodes. Free, no auth. Rate limits.
- Flashbots Protect RPC. Broadcasts your tx via a private lane, no sandwiches.
- MEV Blocker. Same idea, different provider.
- Your own node. Point wallet to
localhost:8545. Ultimate privacy.
How to self-host
- Install geth (Ethereum) or bitcoind (Bitcoin) on a server or home NUC.
- Sync (24-48h for Ethereum).
- Expose
--http --http.addr 0.0.0.0 --http.port 8545internally. - Set MetaMask / Rabby custom RPC to your endpoint.
- All wallet activity now flows through your node.
Which chains to self-host
Ethereum is the highest-value target for a self-hosted node. Cheap chains (Base, Arbitrum) are lower priority because Infura-like providers have less to gain from spying. Solana self-hosting is expensive due to hardware requirements ($10k+ validator hardware).