web3_clientVersion - Plasma RPC Method

Returns the current client software version string for your Plasma node, including the client name, version number, OS, and runtime.

Why Plasma? Build on an EVM Layer 1 for stablecoin payments with PlasmaBFT consensus and Reth execution with 1 second blocks, XPL gas, full EVM JSON-RPC, and debug plus txpool on Dwellir.

When to Use This MethodCopy Anchor Link

web3_clientVersion is valuable for payment app developers, wallet teams, and teams shipping Solidity contracts for dollar transfers:

• Client Compatibility Checks - Verify the node runs a client version that supports the RPC methods your application needs
• Fleet Version Monitoring - Track client versions across a multi-node infrastructure to coordinate upgrades
• Debugging Client-Specific Behavior - Identify which client (Geth, Erigon, Nethermind, Besu, etc.) is serving requests when behavior differs
• Security Auditing - Detect nodes running outdated versions with known vulnerabilities

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "web3_clientVersion",
  "params": [],
  "id": 1
}

Code ExamplesCopy Anchor Link

Common Use CasesCopy Anchor Link

1. Client Version ParserCopy Anchor Link

Parse the version string to extract structured information:

function parseClientVersion(versionString) {
  const parts = versionString.split('/');

  return {
    client: parts[0],
    version: parts[1] || 'unknown',
    os: parts[2] || 'unknown',
    runtime: parts[3] || 'unknown'
  };
}

async function getNodeInfo(provider) {
  const version = await provider.send('web3_clientVersion', []);
  const parsed = parseClientVersion(version);

  console.log(`Client: ${parsed.client}`);
  console.log(`Version: ${parsed.version}`);
  console.log(`OS: ${parsed.os}`);
  console.log(`Runtime: ${parsed.runtime}`);

  return parsed;
}

2. Fleet Version AuditCopy Anchor Link

Check all nodes in a fleet and report version inconsistencies:

import requests

def audit_fleet_versions(endpoints):
    versions = {}
    for endpoint in endpoints:
        try:
            response = requests.post(
                endpoint,
                json={'jsonrpc': '2.0', 'method': 'web3_clientVersion', 'params': [], 'id': 1},
                timeout=5
            )
            version = response.json()['result']
            versions[endpoint] = version
        except Exception as e:
            versions[endpoint] = f'ERROR: {e}'

    # Group by client version
    grouped = {}
    for endpoint, version in versions.items():
        grouped.setdefault(version, []).append(endpoint)

    for version, nodes in grouped.items():
        print(f'{version}: {len(nodes)} node(s)')

    if len(grouped) > 1:
        print('WARNING: Inconsistent versions detected across fleet')

    return versions

3. Feature Detection by ClientCopy Anchor Link

Adjust RPC behavior based on the detected client type:

async function detectClientCapabilities(provider) {
  const version = await provider.send('web3_clientVersion', []);
  const client = version.split('/')[0].toLowerCase();

  const capabilities = {
    supportsDebugTrace: ['geth', 'erigon'].includes(client),
    supportsParityTrace: ['openethereum', 'nethermind', 'erigon'].includes(client),
    supportsEthSubscribe: true, // all modern clients
  };

  console.log(`Client "${client}" capabilities:`, capabilities);
  return capabilities;
}

Best PracticesCopy Anchor Link

• Parse the client version string at startup and log it for debugging -- different clients may handle edge cases differently
• Maintain a fleet inventory that tracks client versions and flags nodes running outdated software
• When reporting issues to node providers, always include the web3_clientVersion output
• Some clients expose additional features based on version -- check version strings for feature gates (e.g., Erigon 3.x supports ots_* namespace)
• The version string format varies across clients -- avoid hardcoding assumptions about the delimiter or field count

Error HandlingCopy Anchor Link

Related MethodsCopy Anchor Link

• net_version - Get the network ID
• eth_syncing - Check node sync progress
• web3_sha3 - Compute Keccak-256 hash via RPC
• net_peerCount - Get number of connected peers