We’re excited to share an insightful conversation between Dmitrii Petrov, our Senior Tech Product Manager at GetBlock, and the team at SafetyDetectives. As a respected platform known for its commitment to cybersecurity and tech insides, SafetyDetectives offered Dmitrii the perfect space to go in-depth on the company’s journey, vision, and role of infrastructure in blockchain innovation.
In this interview, originally published on SafetyDetectives on October 30, 2024, Dmitrii shares his thoughts on GetBlock’s role as a Blockchain-as-a-Service provider and brings a unique perspective shaped by his diverse background in various fields.
Read on to discover his insights into the challenges developers currently face and how GetBlock’s infrastructure is designed to address these needs.
Can you introduce yourself and talk about your background in blockchain?
Hey, my name is Dmitrii Petrov, I curate the GetBlock’s nodes ecosystem as senior tech product manager. Actually, I have an unusual background as both founder and manager. Shortly after completing my MA studies, I launched a platform for substance analysis based on static light scattering (SLS) technology. Then, I joined Procter and Gamble as processes manager for their logistics unit and maintained a supply chain for over two years.
In 2021, amidst another bull run in crypto, I found myself fascinated by the tech and opportunities it unlocks for businesses. And, of course, funding rounds, you know (smiling). So, here we are: for over three years, I’ve been running all RPC node stuff in GetBlock.
Can you share the story behind the founding of GetBlock and what are the companies flagship services?
Actually, it kicked off in 2019. It was a very special stage for the entire crypto and blockchain segment. Cryptocurrency applications were not satisfied any longer with the tech capacity of self-hosted nodes. Running its own full node just to deploy a dApp became resource-ineffective. As such, the market understood that it was lacking reliable Blockchain-as-a-Service platforms – even the term itself was coined later.
That’s why we decided to organize a network of ready-made RPC node endpoints. From the customer’s point of view it looks really simple: we run blockchain full nodes every dApp needs, and clients just get connected to them via the RPC endpoints we provide. For using our endpoints, we charge fees proportionally to either the amount of time the client uses unlimited connection, or number of requests he or she sends to our infrastructure.
Basically, it is just what we are still doing now. We run blockchain nodes so you don’t have to.
GetBlock offers access to over 50 blockchain protocols with RPC nodes. How does this multi-chain support set you apart from other blockchain infrastructure providers?
Yes, the widest possible range of blockchains supported is what makes us more attractive for builders in the multi-chain segment. We run all mainstream L1s, both programmable like Ethereum or BNB Smart Chain and non-programmable like Bitcoin and Dogecoin.
We also were the first in the segment to deploy mainstream L2s Optimism and Arbitrum in Q4 2021. When it comes to new-gen EVM L2s like zkEVMs or OP Stack chains, we also try to be the pioneers. We offered the first commercial RPC nodes for Polygon zkEVM and Cronos zkEVM, and a number of other solutions of this type. As per our internal analysis, our scope of blockchains available is twice as big as that of our average competitor.
What kind of projects benefit most from dedicated nodes, and what level of customization do you provide?
Well, dedicated nodes are a premium-level service for GetBlock customers with most sophisticated requests. For sure, they add a completely new layer of customizability and accessibility for every client.
By dedicated node request, we can deploy a node for the blockchain that we don’t support now, we can offer infrastructure in chosen regions of the globe, we can help with setting up connection with all mainstream interfaces like JSON RPC, WebSockets, and even gRPC or with GraphQL. What I mentioned above is just a few examples, won’t list others. We are always ready to discuss the opportunities of collaboration with every client, in particular – when it comes to dedicated nodes.
What are the biggest challenges developers face when integrating blockchain technology, and how does GetBlock address these issues?
Actually, the answer would be simple: it’s about reliability and cost-efficiency. In a nutshell, you don’t want your app to go offline, and you don’t want its operational costs to be too high. As such, GetBlock is focused on building the most reliable and reasonably priced infrastructure.
We accomplished 99,99% uptime for the majority of our endpoints. During the period of maximum traffic, we even can lease our infrastructure to foundations so they can keep free public RPC operable. To offer affordable prices, we introduced flexible discounts systems: during the ongoing promo you can enjoy a compounded discount of 40% compared to regular prices while choosing the largest packages.
With blockchain technologies constantly evolving, what trends are you most excited about, and how is GetBlock positioning itself for the future?
Well, I would answer that we will be excited for whatever comes next in crypto. Our offering is so flexible and adjustable that we can on-board all applications that need connection to the blockchains. As such, we’ll be just doing our part – building best possible infrastructure for Web3 development.
