# Introduction

Welcome to **AstraNode**, the next-generation RPC gateway for the **Base blockchain**. It provides high-speed access to Base with free-tier usage, automatic 402 payment support, and developer-friendly endpoints.

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### 🔗 Quick Access

{% code title="RPC Endpoint" %}

```
RPC Endpoint: https://rpc.astranode.cloud
Network: Base Mainnet
Chain ID: 8453
```

{% endcode %}

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### ⚡ Key Features

| Feature            | Description                            |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------- |
| Fast Base RPC      | Optimized, low-latency JSON-RPC access |
| Free Tier          | 50 free calls/day per IP or wallet     |
| Pay-Per-Call       | x402-compatible 402 Payment Required   |
| Secure             | IP + wallet-based isolation            |
| Developer Friendly | Simple cURL or SDK integration         |

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### 👩‍💻 Ideal For

* Web3 dApp developers
* Analytics & automation bots
* Trading & DeFi tools
* On-chain explorers & dashboards

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{% hint style="info" %}
For detailed usage, SDK examples, and payment setup see the related docs below.
{% endhint %}

***

### 🧭 Related Links

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Target</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Getting Started</td><td><a href="getting-started">getting-started</a></td></tr><tr><td>API Reference</td><td><a href="api-reference">api-reference</a></td></tr><tr><td>x402 Payments</td><td><a href="payments">payments</a></td></tr><tr><td>FAQ</td><td><a href="faq">faq</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.astranode.cloud/introduction.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.