A stateless, lightweight remote procedure call protocol using JSON encoding. Clients send a JSON object with method name, params, and id; servers respond with result or error. Solana and Ethereum both expose JSON-RPC APIs for blockchain interaction. Example: {method: 'getBalance', params: ['pubkey...'], id: 1}. WebSocket variants support pub/sub for real-time updates.
Start with the shortest useful explanation before going deeper.
A stateless, lightweight remote procedure call protocol using JSON encoding. Clients send a JSON object with method name, params, and id; servers respond with result or error. Solana and Ethereum both expose JSON-RPC APIs for blockchain interaction. Example: {method: 'getBalance', params: ['pubkey...'], id: 1}. WebSocket variants support pub/sub for real-time updates.
Use the quick analogy first so the term is easier to reason about when you meet it in code, docs, or prompts.
Think of it as a building block that connects one definition to the larger Solana system around it.
Place the term inside its Solana layer so the definition is easier to reason about.
Serialization, memory, data structures, and core engineering basics.
Turn the term from vocabulary into something operational for product and engineering work.
This term unlocks adjacent concepts quickly, so it works best when you treat it as a junction instead of an isolated definition.
Use this compact block when you want to give an agent or assistant grounded context without dumping the entire page.
JSON-RPC (json-rpc)
Category: Programming Fundamentals
Definition: A stateless, lightweight remote procedure call protocol using JSON encoding. Clients send a JSON object with method name, params, and id; servers respond with result or error. Solana and Ethereum both expose JSON-RPC APIs for blockchain interaction. Example: {method: 'getBalance', params: ['pubkey...'], id: 1}. WebSocket variants support pub/sub for real-time updates.
Related: API (Application Programming Interface), RPC (Remote Procedure Call)Use glossary context, relationships, mental models, and builder paths to get structured answers instead of generic chat output.
Optional: paste Anchor, Solana, or Rust code so the Copilot can map primitives back to glossary terms.
The Copilot will answer using the current term, related concepts, mental models, and the surrounding glossary graph.
These branches show which concepts this term touches directly and what sits one layer beyond them.
A defined interface through which software components communicate. REST APIs use HTTP methods (GET, POST) with JSON payloads. Solana uses JSON-RPC APIs where clients send method calls (getAccountInfo, sendTransaction) to validator nodes. GraphQL APIs (used by some indexers) allow clients to request exactly the data they need in a single query.
The API interface for interacting with a blockchain node. Clients send JSON-RPC requests to read account state, submit transactions, and subscribe to events. Solana RPC methods include getAccountInfo, getBalance, sendTransaction, and simulateTransaction. Public RPCs have rate limits; production dApps use dedicated providers (Helius, Triton, QuickNode).
These are the next concepts worth opening if you want this term to make more sense inside a real Solana workflow.
Glossary entries become useful when they are connected. These links are the shortest path to adjacent ideas.
A defined interface through which software components communicate. REST APIs use HTTP methods (GET, POST) with JSON payloads. Solana uses JSON-RPC APIs where clients send method calls (getAccountInfo, sendTransaction) to validator nodes. GraphQL APIs (used by some indexers) allow clients to request exactly the data they need in a single query.
The API interface for interacting with a blockchain node. Clients send JSON-RPC requests to read account state, submit transactions, and subscribe to events. Solana RPC methods include getAccountInfo, getBalance, sendTransaction, and simulateTransaction. Public RPCs have rate limits; production dApps use dedicated providers (Helius, Triton, QuickNode).
These entries live beside the current term and help the page feel like part of a larger knowledge graph instead of a dead end.
A systems programming language emphasizing memory safety, zero-cost abstractions, and concurrency without a garbage collector. Rust uses an ownership model with borrow checking at compile time to prevent data races and null pointer bugs. It is the primary language for Solana program development (via Anchor or native solana-program crate) and the Agave validator client.
A statically typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript. TypeScript adds type annotations, interfaces, generics, and enums to catch errors at compile time. It is the standard language for Solana client-side developmentâwallet adapters, dApp frontends, test suites, and SDK interactions (web3.js, Anchor client) are typically written in TypeScript.
The ubiquitous scripting language for web development, running in browsers and Node.js. JavaScript is dynamically typed and event-driven. Most Solana dApp frontends and scripts use JavaScript/TypeScript with libraries like @solana/web3.js. Node.js enables server-side JS for backend services, indexers, and bot development.
A JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 engine that enables server-side JavaScript execution. Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model. In the Solana ecosystem, Node.js is used for: running Anchor tests (Mocha/Jest), backend services, transaction bots, indexers, and CLI tools. npm/yarn/pnpm manage JavaScript package dependencies.