net_peerCount - Arc RPC Method

Returns the number of peers currently connected to your Arc node.

Why Arc? Build on Circle's stablecoin-native Layer 1 where USDC is the gas token and BFT consensus gives sub-second deterministic finality with USDC as the native gas token, sub-second irreversible finality, an EWMA-smoothed fee market with a 20 Gwei floor, and EIP-7708 Transfer logs for native value movement.

When to Use This MethodCopy Anchor Link

net_peerCount is important for payment platforms, stablecoin issuers, exchange and treasury teams, and Solidity developers building on Arc:

• Network Health Monitoring - Verify your node has sufficient peer connections for reliable data propagation
• Peer Discovery Verification - Confirm that peer discovery is working after node startup or network changes
• Load Balancer Decisions - Route traffic to well-connected nodes with healthy peer counts
• Troubleshooting Connectivity - Diagnose networking issues when a node returns stale or missing data

Best PracticesCopy Anchor Link

• Low peer count may indicate connectivity or firewall issues; investigate if peers drop unexpectedly
• Minimum healthy peer count varies by network; establish baselines for your specific Arc deployment
• Combine with eth_syncing for a complete picture of node health and readiness

Code ExamplesCopy Anchor Link

Common Use CasesCopy Anchor Link

1. Network Health MonitorCopy Anchor Link

Continuously check peer count and alert when it drops below a threshold:

async function monitorPeers(provider, minPeers = 3, interval = 30000) {
  setInterval(async () => {
    const peerCountHex = await provider.send('net_peerCount', []);
    const peerCount = parseInt(peerCountHex, 16);

    if (peerCount === 0) {
      console.error('CRITICAL: Node has no peers - network isolated');
    } else if (peerCount < minPeers) {
      console.warn(`LOW PEERS: ${peerCount} connected (minimum: ${minPeers})`);
    } else {
      console.log(`Healthy - ${peerCount} peers connected`);
    }
  }, interval);
}

2. Node Readiness CheckCopy Anchor Link

Verify a node has enough peers before routing traffic to it:

async function isNodeReady(rpcUrl, minPeers = 5) {
  const provider = new JsonRpcProvider(rpcUrl);

  const [peerCountHex, syncing] = await Promise.all([
    provider.send('net_peerCount', []),
    provider.send('eth_syncing', [])
  ]);

  const peerCount = parseInt(peerCountHex, 16);
  const isSynced = syncing === false;
  const hasEnoughPeers = peerCount >= minPeers;

  return {
    ready: isSynced && hasEnoughPeers,
    peerCount,
    syncing: !isSynced
  };
}

3. Multi-Node Fleet DashboardCopy Anchor Link

Aggregate peer counts across a fleet of Arc nodes:

import requests

def check_fleet_peers(endpoints):
    results = []
    for endpoint in endpoints:
        try:
            response = requests.post(
                endpoint,
                json={'jsonrpc': '2.0', 'method': 'net_peerCount', 'params': [], 'id': 1},
                timeout=5
            )
            peers = int(response.json()['result'], 16)
            results.append({'endpoint': endpoint, 'peers': peers, 'healthy': peers > 0})
        except Exception as e:
            results.append({'endpoint': endpoint, 'peers': 0, 'healthy': False, 'error': str(e)})
    return results

Error HandlingCopy Anchor Link

Related MethodsCopy Anchor Link

• net_listening - Check if node is accepting connections
• net_version - Get the network ID
• eth_syncing - Check node sync progress
• web3_clientVersion - Get node client info