🔄 eth_protocolVersion - Base Chain

Overview

The eth_protocolVersion method returns the current protocol version of the Base chain node as a hexadecimal string. This represents the version of the underlying Ethereum protocol implementation being used on Base.

Parameters

No parameters.

Returns

Protocol Version - A hexadecimal string representing the current Ethereum protocol version implemented by the Base node

Request

POST https://base-mainnet.chainnodes.org/YOUR-API-KEY

Example

curl https://base-mainnet.chainnodes.org/YOUR-API-KEY \
    -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_protocolVersion","params":[],"id":1}'

Response

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "result": "0x42"
}

Note: The actual value may vary depending on the current version of the Base node software.

Understanding Protocol Version

The protocol version refers to the version of the Ethereum wire protocol that the node is using for peer-to-peer communication. It's important to note:

1. This value represents the Base node's internal protocol version, not the Ethereum mainnet version
2. Different node implementations might return different values
3. This is not the same as the client software version (e.g., the version of the OP Stack that Base is built on)

Use Cases

Node Version Compatibility

Checking the protocol version can be useful when:

// Check if node is running a compatible protocol version
const protocolVersion = await eth.protocolVersion();
const protocolVersionDecimal = parseInt(protocolVersion, 16);
 
if (protocolVersionDecimal < 66) { // Example minimum required version
  console.warn("Node is running an outdated protocol version");
}

Infrastructure Monitoring

For infrastructure providers or developers running their own Base nodes, monitoring protocol version across a fleet of nodes ensures consistency.

Related Methods

• web3_clientVersion - Get the client software version
• net_version - Get the current network ID