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eth_accounts

Returns a list of addresses owned by the client on Avalanche.

Why Avalanche? Build on the fastest smart contract platform with sub-second finality and customizable L1 subnets with sub-second finality, Evergreen subnets for institutions, and partnerships with Franklin Templeton, VanEck, and Bergen County.

Important Note#

On public RPC endpoints like Dwellir, eth_accounts returns an empty array because the node does not hold any private keys. This method is primarily useful for:

  • Local development nodes (Ganache, Hardhat, Anvil)
  • Private nodes with managed accounts
  • Wallet provider connections (MetaMask injects accounts)

When to Use This Method#

eth_accounts is relevant for enterprise developers, RWA tokenizers, and teams building custom blockchain networks in specific scenarios:

  • Development Testing — Retrieve test accounts from local nodes
  • Wallet Detection — Check if a wallet provider has connected accounts
  • Client Verification — Confirm node account access capabilities

Parameters#

This method accepts no parameters.

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
None--This method takes no parameters

Returns#

FieldTypeDescription
resultArray<DATA>List of 20-byte account addresses owned by the client

Return format: Array of 0x prefixed hexadecimal addresses (typically empty for public nodes)

Request#

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "eth_accounts",
  "params": [],
  "id": 1
}

Response#

Successful Response (Public Node)#

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "result": []
}

Successful Response (Local Development Node)#

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "result": [
    "0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1",
    "0x85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1407d73d8a49eeb"
  ]
}

Code Examples#

curl -X POST https://api-avalanche-mainnet-archive.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY/ext/bc/C/rpc \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "eth_accounts",
    "params": [],
    "id": 1
  }'

Common Use Cases#

1. Development Environment Detection#

Check if running against a development node with test accounts:

async function isDevEnvironment(provider) {
  const accounts = await provider.listAccounts();
  return accounts.length > 0;
}

const isDev = await isDevEnvironment(provider);
if (isDev) {
  console.log('Development environment detected');
}

2. Wallet Connection Check#

Verify wallet provider has connected accounts:

async function checkWalletConnection() {
  if (typeof window.ethereum === 'undefined') {
    return { connected: false, reason: 'No wallet detected' };
  }

  const accounts = await window.ethereum.request({
    method: 'eth_accounts'
  });

  return {
    connected: accounts.length > 0,
    accounts: accounts
  };
}

3. Fallback Account Selection#

Use first available account or request connection:

async function getActiveAccount() {
  // Check existing connections
  let accounts = await window.ethereum.request({
    method: 'eth_accounts'
  });

  // Request connection if no accounts
  if (accounts.length === 0) {
    accounts = await window.ethereum.request({
      method: 'eth_requestAccounts'
    });
  }

  return accounts[0] || null;
}

Error Handling#

Common errors and solutions:

Error CodeDescriptionSolution
-32601Method not foundNode may not support this method
-32603Internal errorRetry with exponential backoff
async function safeGetAccounts(provider) {
  try {
    const accounts = await provider.listAccounts();
    return { success: true, accounts };
  } catch (error) {
    if (error.code === -32601) {
      console.warn('eth_accounts not supported on this node');
      return { success: false, accounts: [], reason: 'unsupported' };
    }
    throw error;
  }
}