system_chain - JSON-RPC Method

Description

Returns the name of the chain the node is connected to. This JSON-RPC method is useful for identifying which Hydration network (mainnet, testnet, or custom chain) the node is operating on.

Parameters

This method does not require any parameters.

Returns

Field	Type	Description
result	string	The name of the chain

Request Example

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

Response Example

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "Hydration",
  "id": 1
}

Code Examples

cURL

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

JavaScript

const getChainName = async () => {
  const response = await fetch('https://api-hydration.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      jsonrpc: '2.0',
      method: 'system_chain',
      params: [],
      id: 1
    })
  });
  
  const data = await response.json();
  return data.result;
};

// Verify correct network
const chain = await getChainName();
console.log(`Connected to: ${chain}`);

if (chain !== 'Hydration') {
  console.warn('Warning: Not connected to Hydration mainnet!');
}

Python

import requests
import json

def get_chain_name():
    url = "https://api-hydration.n.dwellir.com/YOUR_API_KEY"
    headers = {
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    
    payload = {
        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
        "method": "system_chain",
        "params": [],
        "id": 1
    }
    
    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(payload))
    data = response.json()
    
    if "error" in data:
        raise Exception(f"RPC Error: {data['error']}")
    
    return data["result"]

# Network detection
chain = get_chain_name()
print(f"Connected to: {chain}")

# Configure based on network
if chain == "Hydration":
    token_decimals = 12
    token_symbol = "HDX"
elif chain == "Basilisk":
    token_decimals = 12
    token_symbol = "BSX"
else:
    token_decimals = 12
    token_symbol = "UNIT"

Common Chain Names

Chain Name	Network Type	Description
Hydration	Mainnet	Production liquidity parachain secured by Polkadot
Basilisk	Testnet (Kusama)	Staging network that mirrors Hydration runtime for pre-production
Local Testnet	Dev	Custom chain specification for local testing
Custom names	Local/Dev	Alternate configurations or forks

Use Cases

1. Network Verification: Ensure connected to correct network
2. Configuration Loading: Load network-specific settings
3. Multi-chain Support: Handle different networks dynamically
4. Error Prevention: Prevent mainnet transactions on testnet
5. UI Adaptation: Display network-specific information

Network Detection Pattern

class NetworkManager {
  constructor() {
    this.networks = {
      'Hydration': {
        symbol: 'HDX',
        decimals: 12,
        explorer: 'https://hydration.subscan.io'
      },
      'Basilisk': {
        symbol: 'BSX',
        decimals: 12,
        explorer: 'https://basilisk.subscan.io'
      },
      'Local Testnet': {
        symbol: 'HDX',
        decimals: 12,
        explorer: 'https://polkadot.js.org/apps/?rpc=ws%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A9944#/explorer'
      }
    };
  }
  
  async detectNetwork() {
    const chain = await getChainName();
    const config = this.networks[chain];
    
    if (!config) {
      throw new Error(`Unknown network: ${chain}`);
    }
    
    return { chain, ...config };
  }
  
  async validateNetwork(expectedChain) {
    const chain = await getChainName();
    
    if (chain !== expectedChain) {
      throw new Error(
        `Wrong network! Expected ${expectedChain}, got ${chain}`
      );
    }
    
    return true;
  }
}

Notes

• Chain name is configured in the chain specification
• Custom chains can have any name
• Use in combination with system_properties for full network info
• Chain name doesn't change during runtime
• Case-sensitive string comparison

Related Methods

• state_getRuntimeVersion - Get runtime version
• system_health - Get node health
• rpc_methods - List available methods
• state_getMetadata - Get runtime metadata