> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.moralis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Make Your First Request

> Learn how to make your first JSON-RPC call using your Moralis Node URL to interact with the blockchain.

In this guide, you will make your first JSON-RPC call using your Moralis Node URL. We'll use `ethers.js` to query the Ethereum blockchain, but you can use any JSON-RPC compatible library.

## Prerequisites

* **Node.js** installed on your machine.
* A **Moralis Node URL**. If you haven't created one yet, see [Get Your API Key](/rpc-nodes/introduction/quickstart/get-your-api-key).

## Step 1: Install Dependencies

Create a new project and install the required packages:

```bash theme={null}
mkdir my-rpc-project
cd my-rpc-project
npm init -y
npm install ethers dotenv
```

## Step 2: Set Up Environment Variables

Create a `.env` file in your project root and add your Moralis Node URL:

```bash theme={null}
MORALIS_NODE_URL=YOUR_URL_FROM_DASHBOARD
```

## Step 3: Write the Code

Create a file called `index.js`:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="ethers.js">
    ```javascript theme={null}
    require("dotenv").config();
    const { ethers } = require("ethers");

    async function main() {
      const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider(process.env.MORALIS_NODE_URL);

      // Get the latest block number
      const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
      console.log("Latest block:", blockNumber);

      // Get the balance of an address
      const balance = await provider.getBalance(
        "0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045"
      );
      console.log("Balance:", ethers.formatEther(balance), "ETH");
    }

    main();
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="curl">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST YOUR_MORALIS_NODE_URL \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{
        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
        "method": "eth_blockNumber",
        "params": [],
        "id": 1
      }'
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python">
    ```python theme={null}
    import os
    import json
    import requests
    from dotenv import load_dotenv

    load_dotenv()

    node_url = os.getenv("MORALIS_NODE_URL")

    payload = {
        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
        "method": "eth_blockNumber",
        "params": [],
        "id": 1,
    }

    response = requests.post(node_url, json=payload)
    result = response.json()
    print("Latest block:", int(result["result"], 16))
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Step 4: Run the Script

```bash theme={null}
node index.js
```

You should see output like:

```
Latest block: 19234567
Balance: 1.234 ETH
```

## Using Extended RPC Methods

Moralis provides extended RPC methods that offer richer data beyond standard JSON-RPC. These methods map to Moralis API endpoints:

| Method                       | Description                               |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| `eth_getTransactions`        | Get native transactions by wallet address |
| `eth_getDecodedTransactions` | Get decoded wallet history                |
| `eth_getTokenBalances`       | Get ERC20 token balances by wallet        |
| `eth_getTokenPrice`          | Get ERC20 token price                     |
| `eth_getTokenMetadata`       | Get ERC20 token metadata                  |
| `eth_getNFTBalances`         | Get NFTs by wallet address                |
| `eth_getNFTCollections`      | Get NFT collections by wallet             |

<Info>Extended RPC methods have higher compute unit costs than standard methods. See [Pricing](/rpc-nodes/pricing) for details.</Info>

## Next Steps

* [Pricing](/rpc-nodes/pricing) — Understand compute unit costs for each RPC method.
* [Batch Requests](/rpc-nodes/introduction/resources/rpc-batch-requests) — Combine multiple requests into a single API call.
* [Rate Limits](/rpc-nodes/introduction/resources/rpc-rate-limits) — Learn about throughput limits per plan.