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Base L2 - Build on Coinbase's Ethereum Layer 2

Base RPC
With Dwellir, you get access to our global Base network which always routes your API requests to the nearest available location, ensuring low latency and the fastest speeds.

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Why Build on Base?​

Base is Coinbase's Ethereum Layer 2 solution, designed to bring the next billion users onchain. Built on Optimism's OP Stack, Base offers:

🚀 Lightning Fast Performance​

  • Sub-second block times - Get near-instant transaction confirmations
  • 10-100x lower costs than Ethereum mainnet
  • EIP-4844 enabled - Leveraging blob data for even lower fees

🛡️ Enterprise Security​

  • Backed by Coinbase - Institutional-grade infrastructure
  • Ethereum security - Inherits L1 security guarantees
  • Battle-tested - Built on proven Optimism technology

🌍 Massive Ecosystem​

  • 1M+ weekly active users - Rapidly growing user base
  • $2B+ TVL - Strong DeFi ecosystem
  • Major integrations - Circle USDC, Chainlink, The Graph

Quick Start with Base​

Connect to Base in seconds with Dwellir's optimized endpoints:

🔗 RPC Endpoints

Base Mainnet (Chain ID: 8453)Live
https://api-base-mainnet.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY
✓ Archive Node✓ Trace API✓ Debug API✓ WebSocket

Quick Connect:

curl -X POST https://api-base-mainnet.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'

Installation & Setup​

import { JsonRpcProvider } from 'ethers';

// Connect to Base mainnet
const provider = new JsonRpcProvider(
  'https://api-base-mainnet.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY'
);

// Get the latest block
const block = await provider.getBlock('latest');
console.log('Latest block:', block.number);

// Query account balance
const balance = await provider.getBalance('0x...');
console.log('Balance:', balance.toString());

Network Information​

Chain ID

8453

Mainnet

Block Time

2 seconds

Average

Gas Token

ETH

Native token

RPC Standard

Ethereum

JSON-RPC 2.0

JSON-RPC API Reference​

Base supports the full Ethereum JSON-RPC API specification. Access all standard methods plus L2-specific optimizations.

Available JSON-RPC Methods

📊 Reading Blockchain Data

Query blocks, transactions, and account states

+

📤 Sending Transactions

Submit and manage transactions

+

📝 Smart Contract Interaction

Call and interact with smart contracts

+

🔧 Node & Network Info

Query node status and network information

+

🎯 Base L2 Specific

Methods specific to Base Layer 2

+

Ready to integrate Base into your dApp?

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Common Integration Patterns​

🔄 Transaction Monitoring​

Monitor pending and confirmed transactions efficiently:

// Watch for transaction confirmation
async function waitForTransaction(txHash) {
  const receipt = await provider.waitForTransaction(txHash, 1);
  
  // L2 specific: Check L1 data availability
  if (receipt.l1Fee) {
    console.log('L1 data cost:', receipt.l1Fee);
  }
  
  return receipt;
}

💰 Gas Optimization​

Optimize gas costs on Base L2:

// Estimate L2 execution gas
const l2Gas = await provider.estimateGas(tx);

// Get current L1 data fee (Base specific)
const l1DataFee = await provider.send('eth_estimateL1Fee', [tx]);

// Total cost = L2 execution + L1 data posting
const totalCost = l2Gas + BigInt(l1DataFee);

🔍 Event Filtering​

Efficiently query contract events:

// Query events with automatic retry and pagination
async function getEvents(contract, eventName, fromBlock = 0) {
  const filter = contract.filters[eventName]();
  const events = [];
  const batchSize = 2000; // Base recommended batch size
  
  for (let i = fromBlock; i <= currentBlock; i += batchSize) {
    const batch = await contract.queryFilter(
      filter, 
      i, 
      Math.min(i + batchSize - 1, currentBlock)
    );
    events.push(...batch);
  }
  
  return events;
}

Performance Best Practices​

1. Batch Requests​

Combine multiple RPC calls for optimal performance:

const batch = [
  { method: 'eth_blockNumber', params: [] },
  { method: 'eth_gasPrice', params: [] },
  { method: 'eth_getBalance', params: [address, 'latest'] }
];

const results = await provider.send(batch);

2. Connection Pooling​

Reuse provider instances to minimize connection overhead:

// Singleton pattern for provider
class BaseProvider {
  static instance = null;
  
  static getInstance() {
    if (!this.instance) {
      this.instance = new JsonRpcProvider(
        'https://api-base-mainnet.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY'
      );
    }
    return this.instance;
  }
}

3. Smart Caching​

Cache immutable data to reduce API calls:

const cache = new Map();

async function getCachedBlockData(blockNumber) {
  const key = `block_${blockNumber}`;
  
  if (!cache.has(key)) {
    const block = await provider.getBlock(blockNumber);
    cache.set(key, block);
  }
  
  return cache.get(key);
}

Troubleshooting Common Issues​

Error: "Insufficient funds for L1 fee"​

Base transactions require ETH for both L2 execution and L1 data availability:

// Always account for L1 fees in balance checks
const balance = await provider.getBalance(address);
const l1Fee = await provider.send('eth_estimateL1Fee', [tx]);
const l2Gas = await provider.estimateGas(tx);
const totalRequired = l2Gas + BigInt(l1Fee) + tx.value;

if (balance < totalRequired) {
  throw new Error(`Need ${totalRequired - balance} more ETH`);
}

Error: "Transaction underpriced"​

Base uses EIP-1559 pricing. Always use dynamic gas pricing:

// Get current fee data
const feeData = await provider.getFeeData();

const tx = {
  to: recipient,
  value: amount,
  maxFeePerGas: feeData.maxFeePerGas,
  maxPriorityFeePerGas: feeData.maxPriorityFeePerGas,
  gasLimit: 21000n
};

Error: "Rate limit exceeded"​

Implement exponential backoff for resilient applications:

async function callWithRetry(fn, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.code === 429 && i < maxRetries - 1) {
        await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 2 ** i * 1000));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
}

Migration Guide​

From Ethereum Mainnet​

Moving from L1 to Base L2 requires minimal changes:

// Before (Ethereum)
const provider = new JsonRpcProvider('https://eth-rpc.example.com');

// After (Base)
const provider = new JsonRpcProvider(
  'https://api-base-mainnet.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY'
);

// ✅ Smart contracts work identically
// ✅ Same tooling and libraries
// ⚠️ Different chain ID (8453)
// ⚠️ Separate block numbers
// ⚠️ L1 data fees apply

Resources & Tools​

Official Resources​

Developer Tools​

Need Help?​

Start building on Base with Dwellir's enterprise-grade RPC infrastructure. Get your free API key →