Arkiv data is queried over familiar RPC endpoints. Today, most of those queries go to one official endpoint. We’re piloting another way to serve them, with nodes run by the community. It’s called Arkiv Community RPC.
What is [ ARKIV ]
Arkiv is an Ethereum-aligned Web3 database.
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You write data as entities with typed, indexed attributes.
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You own the data with your own wallet.
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You query it the way you’d query any database, and you decide when it expires.
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Every write is a signed transaction.
Under the hood are DB-Chains: blockchains that run their state through a database engine, not the EVM. They’re coordinated by the Arkiv chain, which is linked to Ethereum.
Community RPC: How it works
Apps send queries to one public endpoint. A load balancer passes each query to a healthy community node and returns the answer. The app sees a single URL, with many operators behind it.
Running a node
Operators use a ready-made node kit. It needs:
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one Linux machine (x86_64 or arm64)
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Docker
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a clock synced over NTP
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a large disk
The node syncs from a published snapshot. It needs no GPU and no open ports, because it joins through an outbound tunnel.
To join, an operator posts an offer and the load balancer accepts it. Offers and agreements are themselves Arkiv entities, so the programme runs on Arkiv.
Keeping nodes honest
The load balancer checks every node every 5 seconds to see that it’s up and current. Every 30 minutes it compares each node’s data with Arkiv’s official RPC. A node gets no queries, and no pay, until it’s fixed if it is:
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down
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more than 30 blocks behind
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serving wrong data
Every answer counted in public
Every answer a node serves is counted. The counts are published daily as Arkiv entities that anyone can query. Operators are paid for each answer they serve, in test tokens during the pilot.
What it means
Arkiv’s read capacity grows with the community and doesn’t rest on one endpoint. It also creates a new role in the ecosystem: operators, alongside builders.
Where it stands
This is a live pilot on the Tiramisu testnet. Opening it to community operators is the next step, and we’ll share how to take part when it’s ready. Come and find us at Devcon to see how a node joins.
Want to see the guide? Check out the status of our pilot project here
https://nodes.arkiv.network/#operator
Find us at Devcon 8
Mumbai, 3 to 6 November. Come to the Arkiv booth for demo, discussion and collaboration opportunities.
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Start building on [ ARKIV ]
npm i @arkiv-network/sdk
Docs: docs.arkiv.network · Hub: hub.arkiv.network · Community: discord.gg/arkiv