state_getMetadata

Description

Returns the latest runtime metadata as a SCALE-encoded blob. Decode this (or use scale-info aware libraries) to understand pallets, storage layouts, and custom RPC types introduced by Bifrost upgrades.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
blockHash	string	No	Block hash to fetch historical metadata

Returns

SCALE-encoded metadata blob (hex string).

Request Example

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

Response Example

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "0x6d6574610c010000000100...",
  "id": 1
}

Code Examples

JavaScript (polkadot.js)

const metadata = await api.rpc.state.getMetadata();
console.log('Spec version:', metadata.asLatest.version.toNumber());

Python (py-substrate-interface)

metadata_scale = substrate.rpc_request('state_getMetadata', [])["result"]
with open('bifrost_metadata.scale', 'w') as f:
    f.write(metadata_scale)

Usage Notes

• After runtime upgrades (e.g., specVersion 21001), refresh metadata to decode new pallets like Hyperbridge, FlexibleFee, or omnipool updates.
• Tools such as subxt or polkadot-js/api automatically refresh metadata when the runtime version increases.