Quicknode gives you high-performance access to the Solana blockchain through HTTP and WebSocket (WSS) endpoints. These endpoints are designed for reliability, speed, and real-time data delivery, and provide the foundation for building scalable Web3 applications.
HTTP Endpoints
Quicknode's HTTP endpoints provide robust JSON-RPC API access with multiple performance tiers and optimization features designed for different application requirements.
https://your-endpoint.quiknode.pro/auth-token/Best for:
- Web3 application backends and APIs
- Smart contract deployment and interaction
- Blockchain data queries and analysis
- Development and testing environments
WebSocket (WSS) Endpoints
Quicknode's WebSocket endpoints provide real-time blockchain data streaming through persistent connections optimized for different use cases and performance requirements.
wss://your-endpoint.quiknode.pro/auth-token/Best for:
- DeFi applications requiring real-time price feeds
- Block explorers and analytics dashboards
- Transaction monitoring and confirmation tracking
- Smart contract event listening
WebSocket (WSS) Limits
WebSocket responses are capped at a certain limit, which is subject to change. In cases where responses are potentially large, it is recommended to use a POST request. If the response size exceeds the limit, the associated error code will be -32616.
Credit Usage
Different methods consume different amounts of credits: View Solana API credit costs →
Flat Rate RPS
Flat Rate RPS is a billing option that provides predictable monthly costs for Solana endpoints. Instead of metering individual requests and charging with API Credits, you pay a fixed monthly fee based on your configured request capacity. Your bill stays the same each month regardless of actual usage.
You can check the Flat Rate RPS documentation to learn more.
Rate Limits
Rate limits vary by plan tier: View detailed pricing and limits →
MEV Protection (Standard Plans)
Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) refers to the profit that can be extracted by manipulating the order of transactions within a block. Validators, miners, or bots can reorder, insert, or censor transactions to capture value that would otherwise go to users. This manifests as worse trade prices, failed transactions, or unexpected losses during on-chain interactions.
MEV Protection is a transaction routing service that mitigates these risks by sending your transactions through encrypted private relay networks directly to block builders. Instead of broadcasting to the public mempool where MEV searchers monitor and exploit pending transactions, your transaction remains hidden until it is included in a block. This prevents bots from observing transaction details and executing attacks based on your intended actions.
This protection is most critical for DeFi operations (swaps, liquidity provision, lending), NFT minting during high-demand launches, liquidation protection in lending protocols, and any time-sensitive transaction where ordering affects execution quality or cost.
How it works
In standard transaction flow, your transaction is broadcast to the public mempool where it becomes visible to all network participants. MEV searchers continuously monitor the mempool for profitable opportunities, analyzing pending transactions to identify targets for extraction. They then submit competing transactions with higher gas fees to ensure their manipulative transactions are ordered favorably by validators.
MEV Protection eliminates this exposure by routing transactions through private relay infrastructure provided by trusted partners such as Blink and OrderPath. Your transaction is encrypted and sent directly to block builders who include it in a block without prior public visibility. The transaction bypasses the public mempool entirely, preventing MEV bots from detecting, analyzing, or reacting to your intended on-chain action. The on-chain execution and final result remain identical to standard routing, but without the risk of value extraction by third parties.
What MEV Protection defends against
MEV Protection defends against the most common forms of value extraction:
- Front-running: Bots detect your pending transaction and submit an identical or competing transaction with higher gas to be executed first, profiting from the price impact your transaction will create.
- Sandwich attacks: Attackers place two transactions around yours-one before to manipulate the price unfavorably, and one after to profit from the price movement your transaction causes. This results in worse execution prices and higher slippage for your trade.
- Back-running: Bots execute transactions immediately after yours to capitalize on state changes you create, such as arbitrage opportunities from price discrepancies your trade generates.
- Transaction reordering: Block builders or validators reorder transactions within a block to extract maximum value, potentially causing your transaction to execute under less favorable conditions than anticipated.
What it does not affect
MEV Protection is a protection service, not an optimization service. It does not modify or enhance gas pricing, trade execution prices, spreads, transaction success rates, or confirmation times. Your smart contracts execute with the same logic and produce identical on-chain results as they would through standard routing.
No additional fees or code changes are required. MEV Protection operates at the RPC routing layer and does not require modifications to your application, wallet, or SDK integration.
Limitations and considerations
Mempool visibility: Transactions routed through MEV Protection will not appear in public mempool explorers or monitoring tools until they are included in a block. This is expected behavior as the transaction bypasses the public mempool entirely.
No fallback mechanism: If the private relay network fails to include your transaction in a block, it will not automatically retry through the public mempool. Your application should implement appropriate retry logic if needed.
Network availability: MEV Protection is currently available for Ethereum, BSC, Base, Arbitrum, and Solana. Transactions on other networks will use standard public mempool routing.
Disabling MEV Protection
MEV Protection is automatically enabled for all new endpoints created on Standard Plans. Your transactions are immediately protected with no setup, configuration changes, or modifications to your wallet or SDK required. This happens transparently at the RPC routing level.
If your application requires public mempool visibility for monitoring or debugging, or you prefer standard routing, you can disable it:
- Per endpoint: Navigate to your endpoint dashboard where you will see the MEV Protection section on the right side. Use the toggle to turn off MEV Protection. A warning dialog will appear with two options: "Keep MEV" to cancel the change, or "Disable MEV" to confirm and route transactions through the public mempool.
Availability
MEV Protection is available on all Standard Plan endpoints for supported networks (Ethereum, BSC, Base, Arbitrum, and Solana). This provides automatic protection against frontrunning and sandwich attacks with no additional cost or configuration.
Enterprise customers requiring custom routing strategies, execution guarantees, or MEV rebate programs should contact sales@quicknode.com for advanced MEV protection options with tailored configurations.