Quicknode Solana Infrastructure

Build high-performance Solana applications with Quicknode — blockchain infrastructure provider supporting 80+ chains with low-latency RPC endpoints, DAS API, Yellowstone gRPC streaming, real-time data pipelines, and developer-first APIs.

Overview

Quicknode provides:

• RPC Endpoints: Low-latency Solana access with authentication embedded in the URL
• DAS API: Unified NFT and token queries — standard NFTs, compressed NFTs (cNFTs), fungible tokens, MPL Core Assets, Token 2022
• Yellowstone gRPC: Real-time Solana data streaming via Geyser plugin
• Priority Fee API: Fee estimation for transaction landing
• Streams: Real-time and historical data pipelines with JavaScript filtering
• Webhooks: Event-driven blockchain notifications
• Metis: Jupiter Swap API integration
• IPFS: Decentralized file storage
• Key-Value Store: Serverless state persistence for Streams
• Admin API: Programmatic endpoint management
• x402: Pay-per-request RPC via USDC micropayments (no API key needed)
• Multi-Chain: 80+ networks including Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, BSC, Avalanche, Bitcoin, and more

Quick Start

Get Your Endpoint

1. Visit quicknode.com/endpoints
2. Select Solana and your network (Mainnet / Devnet)
3. Create an endpoint
4. Copy the HTTP and WSS URLs

Environment Setup

# .env file
QUICKNODE_RPC_URL=https://your-endpoint.solana-mainnet.quiknode.pro/your-token/
QUICKNODE_WSS_URL=wss://your-endpoint.solana-mainnet.quiknode.pro/your-token/
QUICKNODE_API_KEY=your_console_api_key  # Optional: for Admin API

Basic Setup with @solana/kit

import { createSolanaRpc, createSolanaRpcSubscriptions } from "@solana/kit";

const rpc = createSolanaRpc(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!);
const rpcSubscriptions = createSolanaRpcSubscriptions(process.env.QUICKNODE_WSS_URL!);

// Make RPC calls
const slot = await rpc.getSlot().send();
const balance = await rpc.getBalance(address).send();

Authentication

Quicknode endpoints include authentication in the URL:

https://{ENDPOINT_NAME}.solana-mainnet.quiknode.pro/{TOKEN}/

Enable JWT authentication or IP allowlisting in the Quicknode dashboard for additional security.

RPC Endpoints

Solana Endpoints

Using with @solana/kit

import {
  createSolanaRpc,
  createSolanaRpcSubscriptions,
  address,
  lamports,
} from "@solana/kit";

const rpc = createSolanaRpc(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!);
const rpcSubscriptions = createSolanaRpcSubscriptions(process.env.QUICKNODE_WSS_URL!);

// Account balance
const balance = await rpc.getBalance(address("E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk")).send();

// Account info
const accountInfo = await rpc.getAccountInfo(address("E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk"), {
  encoding: "base64",
}).send();

// Recent blockhash
const { value: blockhash } = await rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send();

// Token accounts
const tokenAccounts = await rpc.getTokenAccountsByOwner(
  address("E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk"),
  { programId: address("TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA") },
  { encoding: "jsonParsed" },
).send();

Using with Legacy web3.js

import { Connection, PublicKey } from "@solana/web3.js";

const connection = new Connection(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!);
const balance = await connection.getBalance(new PublicKey("E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk"));

Rate Limits & Plans

DAS API (Digital Asset Standard)

Comprehensive API for querying Solana digital assets — standard NFTs, compressed NFTs (cNFTs), fungible tokens, MPL Core Assets, and Token 2022 Assets. Available as a Marketplace add-on (Metaplex DAS API).

Get Assets by Owner

const response = await fetch(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    id: 1,
    method: "getAssetsByOwner",
    params: {
      ownerAddress: "E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk",
      limit: 10,
      options: { showFungible: true, showCollectionMetadata: true },
    },
  }),
});

const { result } = await response.json();
// result.total — total assets
// result.items — array of asset metadata
// result.cursor — for pagination

Search Assets

const response = await fetch(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    id: 1,
    method: "searchAssets",
    params: {
      ownerAddress: "E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk",
      tokenType: "fungible",
      limit: 50,
    },
  }),
});

Get Asset Proof (Compressed NFTs)

const response = await fetch(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    id: 1,
    method: "getAssetProof",
    params: { id: "compressed_nft_id" },
  }),
});

DAS Method Reference

Yellowstone gRPC (Solana Geyser)

High-performance Solana Geyser plugin for real-time blockchain data streaming via gRPC. Available as a Marketplace add-on.

Setup

import Client, { CommitmentLevel } from "@triton-one/yellowstone-grpc";

// Derive gRPC URL from HTTP endpoint:
// HTTP:  https://example.solana-mainnet.quiknode.pro/TOKEN/
// gRPC:  https://example.solana-mainnet.quiknode.pro:10000
const client = new Client(
  "https://example.solana-mainnet.quiknode.pro:10000",
  "TOKEN",
  {}
);

const stream = await client.subscribe();

stream.on("data", (data) => {
  if (data.transaction) {
    console.log("Transaction:", data.transaction);
  }
  if (data.account) {
    console.log("Account update:", data.account);
  }
});

// Subscribe to transactions for a specific program
stream.write({
  transactions: {
    txn_filter: {
      vote: false,
      failed: false,
      accountInclude: ["PROGRAM_PUBKEY"],
      accountExclude: [],
      accountRequired: [],
    },
  },
  accounts: {},
  slots: {},
  blocks: {},
  blocksMeta: {},
  transactionsStatus: {},
  entry: {},
  accountsDataSlice: [],
  commitment: CommitmentLevel.CONFIRMED,
});

Filter Types

gRPC Best Practices

• Use port 10000 for gRPC connections
• Set commitment to CONFIRMED for most use cases, FINALIZED for irreversibility
• Enable zstd compression to reduce bandwidth
• Send keepalive pings every 10 seconds to maintain connections
• Implement reconnection logic with exponential backoff
• Use narrow filters (specific accounts or programs) to minimize data volume

Priority Fee API

Estimate priority fees for optimal transaction landing.

// Get recommended priority fees
const response = await fetch(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    method: "qn_estimatePriorityFees",
    params: {
      last_n_blocks: 100,
      account: "YOUR_ACCOUNT_PUBKEY",
    },
  }),
});

Using Priority Fees in Transactions

import {
  pipe,
  createTransactionMessage,
  setTransactionMessageFeePayer,
  setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash,
  prependTransactionMessageInstructions,
  appendTransactionMessageInstruction,
} from "@solana/kit";
import {
  getSetComputeUnitLimitInstruction,
  getSetComputeUnitPriceInstruction,
} from "@solana-program/compute-budget";

// 1. Get fee estimate
const feeResponse = await fetch(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    method: "qn_estimatePriorityFees",
    params: { last_n_blocks: 100, account: payer.address },
  }),
});
const feeData = await feeResponse.json();
const priorityFee = feeData.result.per_compute_unit.high;

// 2. Build transaction with compute budget
const tx = pipe(
  createTransactionMessage({ version: 0 }),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageFeePayer(payer.address, tx),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash(blockhash, tx),
  (tx) => prependTransactionMessageInstructions([
    getSetComputeUnitLimitInstruction({ units: 200_000 }),
    getSetComputeUnitPriceInstruction({ microLamports: BigInt(priorityFee) }),
  ], tx),
  (tx) => appendTransactionMessageInstruction(mainInstruction, tx),
);

Metis — Jupiter Swap API

Quicknode’s hosted Jupiter Swap API for DEX aggregation. Available as a Marketplace add-on.

import { createJupiterApiClient } from "@jup-ag/api";

const jupiterApi = createJupiterApiClient({
  basePath: process.env.QUICKNODE_METIS_URL!,
});

// Get swap quote
const quote = await jupiterApi.quoteGet({
  inputMint: "So11111111111111111111111111111111111111112",   // SOL
  outputMint: "EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v", // USDC
  amount: 1_000_000_000, // 1 SOL
  slippageBps: 50,
});

// Get swap transaction
const swapResult = await jupiterApi.swapPost({
  swapRequest: {
    quoteResponse: quote,
    userPublicKey: "YourPubkey...",
  },
});

Streams

Real-time and historical blockchain data pipelines that filter, transform, and deliver data to destinations.

Stream Types

Setup

1. Create a stream in the Quicknode dashboard
2. Select Solana and the data type
3. Add a filter function (JavaScript)
4. Configure destination (webhook, S3, PostgreSQL, Azure)

Filter Function Example

function main(data) {
  // Filter for transactions involving a specific program
  const PROGRAM_ID = "YOUR_PROGRAM_ID";
  const hasProgram = data.transaction?.message?.accountKeys?.some(
    (key) => key === PROGRAM_ID
  );
  if (!hasProgram) return null;
  return data;
}

Streams vs Webhooks

Webhooks

Event-driven notifications for Solana blockchain activity.

Webhook Setup

Create webhooks via the Quicknode dashboard or Admin API to receive notifications when specific on-chain events occur.

See resources/webhooks-reference.md for API examples and configuration.

IPFS Storage

Decentralized file storage via Quicknode’s IPFS gateway.

// Upload file to IPFS
const formData = new FormData();
formData.append("file", fileBuffer);

const response = await fetch("https://api.quicknode.com/ipfs/rest/v1/s3/put-object", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.QUICKNODE_API_KEY! },
  body: formData,
});

const { pin } = await response.json();
// Access via: https://quicknode.quicknode-ipfs.com/ipfs/{pin.cid}

Common Use Cases

• NFT metadata storage
• Asset hosting for collections
• Decentralized content persistence

Key-Value Store

Serverless storage for lists and key-value sets, accessible from Streams filter functions via the qnLib helper library.

Stream Integration (qnLib)

// In a Streams filter function:

// List operations — manage address watchlists
await qnLib.qnAddListItem("my-watchlist", "E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk");
const isWatched = await qnLib.qnContainsListItems("my-watchlist", [data.from]);

// Set operations — store key-value pairs
await qnLib.qnAddSet("token-prices", { key: "SOL", value: "150.25" });
const price = await qnLib.qnGetSet("token-prices", "SOL");

List Operations

• qnLib.qnUpsertList — create or update a list
• qnLib.qnAddListItem — add item to a list
• qnLib.qnRemoveListItem — remove item from a list
• qnLib.qnContainsListItems — batch membership check
• qnLib.qnDeleteList — delete a list

Set Operations

• qnLib.qnAddSet — create a key-value set
• qnLib.qnGetSet — retrieve value by key
• qnLib.qnBulkSets — bulk create/remove sets
• qnLib.qnDeleteSet — delete a set

Quicknode SDK

Official JavaScript/TypeScript SDK for Quicknode services.

npm install @quicknode/sdk

import { Core } from "@quicknode/sdk";

const core = new Core({
  endpointUrl: process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!,
});

// Token API
const balances = await core.client.qn_getWalletTokenBalance({
  wallet: "E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk",
});

// NFT API
const nfts = await core.client.qn_fetchNFTs({
  wallet: "E645TckHQnDcavVv92Etc6xSWQaq8zzPtPRGBheviRAk",
  page: 1,
  perPage: 10,
});

Admin API

REST API for programmatic management of Quicknode endpoints, usage, rate limits, security, and billing.

Authentication

All Admin API requests use the x-api-key header against https://api.quicknode.com/v0/.

const QN_API_KEY = process.env.QUICKNODE_API_KEY!;

// List all endpoints
const res = await fetch("https://api.quicknode.com/v0/endpoints", {
  headers: { "x-api-key": QN_API_KEY },
});
const endpoints = await res.json();

// Get usage metrics
const usage = await fetch("https://api.quicknode.com/v0/usage/rpc", {
  headers: { "x-api-key": QN_API_KEY },
});

Quick Reference

x402 (Pay-Per-Request RPC)

Pay-per-request RPC access via USDC micropayments on Base. No API key required.

import { wrapFetch } from "@x402/fetch";
import { createWalletClient, http } from "viem";
import { privateKeyToAccount } from "viem/accounts";
import { base } from "viem/chains";

const account = privateKeyToAccount(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY as `0x${string}`);
const walletClient = createWalletClient({
  account,
  chain: base,
  transport: http(),
});

// Wrap fetch to auto-handle 402 payments
const x402Fetch = wrapFetch(fetch, walletClient);

// Use like normal fetch — payments handled automatically
const response = await x402Fetch("https://x402.quicknode.com/solana-mainnet", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    method: "getSlot",
    params: [],
    id: 1,
  }),
});

Multi-Chain Support

Quicknode supports 80+ blockchain networks beyond Solana:

Full list: quicknode.com/chains

Multi-Chain Setup

import { Core } from "@quicknode/sdk";

const chains = {
  solana: new Core({ endpointUrl: process.env.QUICKNODE_SOL_RPC! }),
  ethereum: new Core({ endpointUrl: process.env.QUICKNODE_ETH_RPC! }),
  polygon: new Core({ endpointUrl: process.env.QUICKNODE_POLYGON_RPC! }),
};

Safety Defaults

• Default to devnet when a network is not specified
• Prefer read-only operations and dry runs before creating resources
• Never ask for or accept private keys or secret keys
• Require explicit confirmation before creating Streams, Webhooks, or IPFS uploads

Error Handling

try {
  const response = await fetch(process.env.QUICKNODE_RPC_URL!, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({ jsonrpc: "2.0", id: 1, method: "getSlot", params: [] }),
  });
  if (!response.ok) {
    if (response.status === 401) console.error("Invalid endpoint URL or token");
    if (response.status === 429) console.error("Rate limited — upgrade plan or reduce requests");
    if (response.status >= 500) console.error("Server error — retry with backoff");
  }
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Network error:", error);
}

Common Error Codes

Best Practices

API Key Security

• Never commit endpoint URLs or API keys to git
• Use environment variables
• Enable IP allowlisting for production
• Use JWT authentication for sensitive operations
• Rotate credentials periodically

Performance

• Use WebSocket subscriptions for real-time data
• Batch RPC requests to reduce API calls
• Cache responses when data does not change frequently
• Use Yellowstone gRPC for lowest-latency streaming
• Set appropriate commitment levels (confirmed for most, finalized for irreversibility)

Reliability

• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff
• Handle rate limits gracefully with backoff
• Use Streams for reliable event processing (automatic retries)
• Monitor endpoint health via Admin API metrics

Resources

• Quicknode Documentation
• Solana-Specific Docs
• DAS API Reference
• Yellowstone gRPC
• Streams Docs
• Quicknode SDK
• Admin API
• Key-Value Store
• x402
• LLM-Optimized Docs (llms.txt)
• Guides
• Marketplace
• Sample Apps
• Guide Examples Repo

Skill Structure

quicknode/
├── SKILL.md                       # This file
├── resources/
│   ├── rpc-reference.md           # RPC methods and WebSocket patterns
│   ├── das-api-reference.md       # DAS API methods and parameters
│   ├── yellowstone-grpc-reference.md  # gRPC streaming reference
│   ├── streams-reference.md       # Streams filter functions and destinations
│   ├── webhooks-reference.md      # Webhook configuration
│   └── marketplace-addons.md      # Token API, NFT API, Metis, Priority Fees
├── examples/
│   ├── basic-rpc/                 # Basic RPC calls
│   ├── das-api/                   # DAS API queries
│   ├── streaming/                 # Yellowstone gRPC examples
│   └── streams-webhooks/          # Streams and webhook setup
├── templates/
│   └── quicknode-setup.ts         # Starter template
└── docs/
    └── troubleshooting.md         # Common issues and solutions