Solana nodes include validators and RPC nodes, which maintain the blockchain security and connect it with decentralized applications (dApps). Let’s review both node types and see their differences, starting from the Solana architecture. If you’d like to know more, we have the whole library of Solana guides—they will all be listed here. So, let’s go!
Solana node architecture
As mentioned, Solana full nodes can be divided into two categories based on their purpose:
- Validator nodes maintain consensus and check transactions
- RPC nodes connect with dApps and deploy blockchain methods
Both of them require a Solana node client. While there are different clients, the most actively used one is Agave, developed by Anza.
To dive deeper into the Solana node structure, check our dedicated article.
Solana uses a specific Proof-of-History (PoH) consensus, which is based on recording timestamps of even sequences and proving that each event occurred at a certain time. It shares some similarities with the Delegated Proof-of-Stake consensus. Let’s explore it shortly.
Every epoch, Solana selects a **leader among its validator nodes, who receives transactions and broadcasts them to other validators. The time sequence of signatures is then recorded to the blockchain as proof of its integrity.
Source: Solana Labs
Every Solana epoch is approximately 2 days long, and a new leader is selected after each epoch is over. Voting rewards are distributed after the epoch’s end. Additionally, validators pay 0.000005 SOL for each transaction they vote for, which translates into 2–3 SOL each epoch.
Read more about Solana consensus and how it works here.
As we’ll see, running a validator requires a huge initial investment in order to be profitable. Let’s now dive deeper into each node type.
Node requirements and setting up
Validator and RPC nodes have roughly similar hardware requirements, although those for RPC nodes are usually larger. The reason is that RPC nodes must work with larger amounts of data from decentralized applications.
| Validator node | RPC node |
|---|---|
| CPU 2.8 GHz, 12 cores or more | CPU 2.8 GHz, 16 cores or more |
| 256 GB RAM | 512 GB RAM |
| 1–2 TB SSD | 2–4 TB SSD |
| 1–10 Gbps bandwidth | 10 Gbps bandwidth |
The installation of an RPC node costs approximately $2,000–$4,000, while the monthly maintenance price can range from $500 to $700.
Now, we can explore each node type in detail.
Validator nodes: Consensus and staking
Validators realize Solana’s PoH consensus mechanism, validating transactions and comparing different blockchain timestamps to ensure transaction integrity.
Transaction validation and staking
To run a Solana validator node, one needs to gather the required computer hardware and install a node client. Additionally, a validator must create a voting account and deposit SOL into it.
In each epoch, a certain amount of SOL must be burned to vote for transactions. As Solana is fast, its epochs are short, and a validator must burn 2–3 SOL per epoch, or approximately 1.1 SOL per day, to cover commission fees.
Therefore, it’s very easy to actually lose money while running a Solana validator node.
One can see below that even 40,000 SOL isn’t enough and will result in losses.
Source: Cogent Crypto
According to Cogent Crypto, as of late June 2025, about 50,000 SOL are needed to maintain a positive balance and earn at least $11 per day. Which translates into an astonishing $7.5 million.
The largest Solana validators
One can see the stake of the largest Solana investor, Helius: more than 13,000,000 SOL, which means more than $2 billion! Other large and well-known validators include Binance, Coinbase, Figment, and Jupiter.
Source: StakeWiz
According to Cogent Crypto, 13,296,493 SOL make a hefty $16,668,409 yearly (or more than $50,000 daily), assuming the Solana price as of late June. So, Solana staking can be very profitable—but only if you can afford really large sums of money.
RPC nodes: Web3 development
The remote procedure call (RPC) method is used to realize blockchain functionalities in external applications. If one wants to proceed with a transaction or deploy a smart contract, one needs to send the blockchain request, which is realized using RPC nodes.
Read more about Solana Web3 development in our dev guide!
RPC nodes don’t need SOL and cannot earn anything, but address another important task: supporting the large and vibrant Solana ecosystem of dApps and tokens. Unlike the validator node, Solana RPC nodes send and receive blockchain requests from external sources, realizing blockchain functionalities in decentralized applications.
Source: BitcoinWide
Their hardware requirements are somewhat larger compared to validators. Similar to them, they usually use the Agave client from Anza, but it should be set up differently.
- They use --no-voting and --full-rpc-api flags that disable validation and allow RPC requests.
- They can also use --private-rpc flag that hides the node’s RPC port.
- They don’t need a voting account and, therefore, don’t require SOL to function.
An RPC node can be accessed using the API. It generates a specific RPC URL, which is inserted into the dApp’s code every time the blockchain method is called.
Solana method example
Below is the cURL request to run the getBlock method, which returns a specific Solana block’s slot number. Visit our documentation to explore more methods!
curl --location "https://go.getblock.io//" -XPOST \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --data '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "getBlock", "params": [122788843, null] }'
The access token is the node’s API URL—in this case, provided by GetBlock.
To know more about the Solana RPC URL and how to use it, check our guide!
It’s also mentioned that theoretically, RPC and validator nodes can operate on the same machine, but Solana Foundation strongly discourages users from doing that. It would use extremely large amounts of computational resources, which would reduce the node efficiency.
Why RPC providers are so helpful
As one can see, running a Solana node is an expensive task. If one only needs an RPC node for Web3 development, it’s much cheaper and faster to order an API URL from the node provider. In this case, one should only pay the monthly or annual subscription fee, without the need to gather and maintain hefty hardware.
For example, GetBlock nodes are available for a price starting from $39/month, and all maintenance and support are included. For a dedicated node, the price is higher, but still much better compared to several thousands of dollars and tens of hours required to maintain an RPC node oneself.
GetBlock is eager to support the growing Solana ecosystem with top-quality RPC nodes and promotion support! For early-stage projects, we offer highly customizable shared nodes, while established projects with thousands of daily customers will benefit from our dedicated nodes. Moreover, all our partners will have our help with growth and promotion. Sign up now, select the best-suited Solana plan, and make your project thrive!
