Guide
Ethereum chain ID 1 and mainnet RPC options
Ethereum mainnet uses chain ID 1, ETH as gas token,
Etherscan as the listed explorer, and Main.net currently lists
https://ethereum-rpc.publicnode.com as a public convenience endpoint.
Public RPC versus private RPC
A public Ethereum RPC URL is a shared endpoint that can be useful when you need to inspect a block, test a wallet setting, or confirm that an app is pointing at chain ID 1. It is not a reliability contract. A public endpoint can be rate-limited, filtered, temporarily unavailable, or unsuitable for user-facing traffic.
A private or dedicated RPC endpoint usually means an authenticated provider URL assigned to a project, account, or team. That endpoint may include API keys, usage dashboards, request limits, archive options, regional routing, support, or service-level terms. Those are provider features, not Ethereum protocol features, so the right choice depends on the traffic pattern and risk of the app using the endpoint.
When each one fits
- Public Ethereum RPC
- Good for quick checks, scripts, examples, wallet setup, and low-volume reads.
- Dedicated provider endpoint
- Better for production apps, backend services, indexed reads, and traffic that needs monitoring.
- Self-hosted node
- Useful when a team needs infrastructure control, direct node behavior, or internal compliance boundaries.
Before integrating, confirm the live Ethereum record on Main.net's Ethereum status page and then verify critical settings against Ethereum source documentation.