This article describes how to leverage various tools and analytics platforms to acquire and analyze Solana on-chain data.
Author: Chainnews Community
Introduction
Solana’s high-speed, low-cost architecture makes it one of the most exciting ecosystems. But with speed comes complexity – making sense of Solana’s data can be overwhelming for newbies. Unlike other blockchains, Solana’s parallel processing and account model introduces unique challenges when querying, indexing, and analyzing on-chain activity.
Whether you’re a developer building an app, an analyst tracking trends, or a hobbyist trying to make sense of the flow of trades, it’s essential to have the right tools.
This guide is designed to help you navigate the world of Solana data. It describes the most efficient ways to access, analyze, and use blockchain data. From raw RPC endpoints to powerful indexing services, we’ll break down the essential resources you need to get Solana Data Insights.
After reading this article, you will have a clear understanding of where to find the required data, how to interact with it efficiently, and which tools are best suited for each use case.
Solana RPCs
RPC services allow developers and applications to interact with Solana, providing access to on-chain state, transaction submission, and historical data retrieval.
Key Use Cases
Common use cases for accessing data from RPC providers include:
- DeFi applications - find token holders, get account balances, etc;
- NFT applications – track minting, find metadata, and ownership changes;
- Data Application – Aggregate data from app metrics and dashboards;
RPC Provider
You can choose from many different RPC providers. While the core functionality is usually the same, when comparing RPC providers, you need to consider some basic factors such as latency, uptime, data accuracy, rate limits, cost, Solana native experience, and support.
The most common providers include:
- Helius
- Triton
- QuickNode
- Alchemy
- Ankr
- ChainStack
Tools like Webhooks, WebSockets, and gRPC are more suitable for data needs that are sensitive to latency, such as real-time account or program monitoring.
Real-time Data Streaming Tool
For real-time data access, Geyser streams and webhook-based services push continuous updates about Solana blockchain activity without the need for pull-based RPC polling. These solutions are essential for trading robots, analytics platforms, and real-time monitoring applications, as low-latency data is a must.
Geyser streams work by subscribing directly to Solana validators, allowing external services to receive updates on transactions, account changes, and program interactions in real-time. This approach is more efficient than constantly querying RPCs because it reduces unnecessary requests and provides instant access to new blockchain events.
Geyser Streams
Solana’s Geyser plugin allows validators to stream data directly to external services in real-time. This makes it a powerful tool for indexing, custom data aggregation, and on-chain analysis. However, setting up a gRPC flow requires running your own node or using a dedicated node.
Webhooks, WebSocket & Real-time API
Webhooks provide an alternative to RPC and dedicated nodes, offering push-based event notifications for specific blockchain activities.
Developers can subscribe to events such as wallet transactions, token transfers, or on-chain program interactions without excessive RPC polling.
Similarly, WebSocket connections enable real-time streaming of blockchain data, allowing applications to stay updated without continuously issuing new requests.
For real-time applications, Geyser, WebSockets, and Webhooks provide the lowest latency to access Solana data, reducing infrastructure overhead and improving responsiveness.
However, real-time data streaming tools and RPC nodes are not the best choice for historical data analysis. SQL-based solutions such as Flipside and Dune are more suitable for historical data scenarios.
Historical Solana Data Tools
Flipside and Dune provide SQL-based access to Solana on-chain data, allowing users to query and analyze historical blockchain activities without dealing with raw RPC calls.
These two platforms index and structure Solana data to make it more accessible for analysis. Due to the delayed nature of their datasets, they are not suitable for integrating real-time data retrieval, such as RPC methods and data streaming tools.
For example, Flipside has a latency of about 15 minutes for updating a dataset, while Dune has a delay of between 1 minute and 60 minutes, depending on the dataset.
Dune
Dune allows users to write SQL queries against curated Solana datasets, providing more flexibility in defining data models. Users can create custom tables and dashboards to track blockchain activity. The platform operates on a pay-as-you-go model, and query costs may increase based on usage.
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Flipside Crypto
Flipside provides structured tables for querying Solana data via SQL. It includes pre-indexed Solana datasets, simplifying queries for transaction access, token transfers, DeFi protocols, and NFT activities. The platform offers a free tier with high query limits, making it suitable for various use cases.
SQL-based historical analysis tools are ideal for intermediate to advanced data analysts querying large data sets. However, tools like Google BigTable and custom indexes may be better suited for accessing archival data or custom datasets.
Archival data and custom indexing tools
For in-depth blockchain analysis, custom indexing solutions provide a more efficient way to query historical data than raw RPC calls.
Solana’s transaction history is vast, and extracting past data directly from RPC nodes can be slow, costly, and inefficient.
Instead, indexing solutions store and structure blockchain data, enabling faster and more flexible queries.
Custom Indexer
Custom indexers allow developers to define their own indexing logic, making it easier to analyze long-term trends, DeFi activity, and token flows without having to continuously extract raw blockchain logs. Unlike pre-built analytics tools like Flipside and Dune, custom indexers provide complete control over how data is stored and accessed.
Google BigQuery
Platforms like Google BigQuery provide SQL-based access to Solana’s blockchain history, enabling large-scale analysis without the need to run a personal indexer. Unlike platforms like Flipside and Dune, which have pre-structured datasets, BigQuery allows users to customize their data models, making them ideal for custom analytics and business intelligence applications.
Decentralized Data Storage
For long-term blockchain archives, Filecoin’s Old Faithful project, Arweave, and Shadow Drive store raw blockchain data without relying on a centralized database.
For general data analysts who don’t need archival data or large historical datasets, block explorers provide a more user-friendly interface to understand what’s happening on the on-chain.
Block Explorer
Block explorers provide a structured way to view, analyze, and verify on-chain transactions, account balances, token flows, and on-chain program interactions. For traders, developers, and analysts, they are an essential tool for tracking blockchain activity, displaying data in a clear, accessible format.
These platforms allow users to search by transaction ID, wallet address, token, or contract, displaying detailed information related to execution paths, fees, and account changes. While the basic functions of all block explorers are the same, they vary in data presentation, feature settings, and user experience.
Popular Block Explorer
Some of the most popular block explorers include:
- Solscan
- SolanaFM
- XRay ( provided by Helius )
- Solana Explorer
Each browser provides access to Solana’s network data, providing different ways to navigate and parse blockchain transactions.
Solana Data Dashboard
There are many public Solana dashboards available to track more advanced data in the Solana ecosystem, such as network revenue, validator performance, token activity, and MEV.
These dashboards help Solana research firms such as Pine Analytics, developers, analysts, and investors report on Solana’s economic health, macro trends, and on-chain dynamics. Platforms are focused on hosting and presenting this data, making it more accessible for multiple use cases.
Revenue & Network Metrics
Understanding Solana’s sources of revenue, including transaction fees, staking rewards, and protocol-generated revenue, is crucial for evaluating the sustainability and growth of Solana’s network.
Here are a few dashboards:
- Blockworks – research and financial reporting on the Solana ecosystem;
- Artemis – protocol revenue, fees, inflow/outflow of stablecoins, etc.;
- DeFiLlama – fees, revenue, total value locked (TVL), and earnings;
- Nansen – institutional-level analysis of on-chain activity;
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Validator & Staking Dashboard
Validator data helps track Solana’s decentralization, staking allocation, validator health, staking APYs, uptime, and other multiple metrics.
- Stakewiz – validator analytics, staking data, APYs, and more;
- Solana Beach - Validator performance, distribution, and governance;
- Validators.app – validator metrics, software version, latency testing, etc.;
- VX Tools – cluster voting statistics, total blocks and block rewards;
Blockchain Forensics Tools
Solana’s forensic analysis tool tracks wallet flows, suspicious activity, and risk. These platforms are often used by businesses and teams that require a high level of compliance.
- Chainalysis - monitoring, risk assessment, and forensics;
- Arkham Intelligence – wallet identity tracing, fund movements, etc.;
Solana 代币和市场数据
The token analysis platform provides insights into token supply, liquidity, and market performance.
- Birdeye - Token analysis and price tracking for Solana assets;
- Token Terminal - Token metrics, P/E ratio, user growth, etc.;
- Messari Token Portal - Token reports, fundamental analysis, etc.;
MEV (Maximum Extractable Value) Dashboard
MEV data helps analyze front-running, sandwich attacks, and priority gas auctions in the Solana ecosystem.
Jito Explorer – Auction data, MEV tips, and transaction details;
Sandwiched.me - Real-time sandwich and trading data;
These platforms provide structured data to analyze Solana’s performance, security, and economic activity. Whether it’s tracking network revenue, validator metrics, or transaction behavior, they provide valuable insights for developers, analysts, and investors who want to participate more effectively in the Solana ecosystem.
Conclusion
Solana’s data ecosystem includes a variety of tools for different use cases. Whether you need real-time data streams, historical analysis, structured indexing, or simple transaction queries, choosing the right tool depends on your specific needs.
For situations that require low-latency data and granular control, RPC, WebSockets, Geyser (gRPC), and webhooks will be the best choice. For querying historical state or analyzing curated datasets, tools like Dune, Flipside, and Google BigQuery are great options. For analyzing individual transactions or viewing trends, Block Explorer and the pre-built dashboards provided by Solana Analytics will cover most use cases.
