The getSlotLeader RPC method returns the public key of the validator that is the current leader for block production, based on the node’s view at a specified commitment level. The leader is responsible for producing blocks for the current slot.

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Common Use Cases

  • Identifying the Current Block Producer: Find out which validator is currently scheduled to produce blocks.
  • Network Monitoring: Observe the rotation of slot leaders.
  • Debugging Transaction Issues: In some advanced scenarios, knowing the current slot leader might be relevant if transactions are being submitted directly to leaders (though this is not a common client-side practice).

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Request Parameters

This method takes an optional configuration object as its first parameter:

  1. options (object, optional): An optional configuration object with the following fields:
    • commitment (string, optional): Specifies the commitment level for the query. Supported values are finalized, confirmed, or processed. If omitted, the default commitment of the RPC node is used (usually finalized). The slot leader is determined based on the slot that matches this commitment level.
    • minContextSlot (number, optional): The minimum slot that the request can be evaluated at. This sets the minimum slot for the node’s context.

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Response Structure

The result field of the JSON-RPC response is a single base-58 encoded string representing the public key (identity) of the current slot leader.

Example Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "ENvAW7JScgYq6o4zKZwewtkzzJgDzuJAFxYasvmEQdpS",
  "id": 1
}

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Examples

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1. Get Current Slot Leader (Default Commitment)

This example fetches the current slot leader using the node’s default commitment level (usually finalized).

# Replace <api-key> with your Helius API key
curl https://mainnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<api-key> -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d \
  '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "getSlotLeader"
  }'

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2. Get Current Slot Leader with confirmed Commitment

This example fetches the slot leader for the latest slot that has reached confirmed commitment.

# Replace <api-key> with your Helius API key
curl https://mainnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<api-key> -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d \
  '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "getSlotLeader",
    "params": [
      {
        "commitment": "confirmed"
      }
    ]
  }'

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Developer Tips

  • Dynamic Nature: Slot leaders change frequently (every few slots, typically 4). The result of this call is a snapshot in time based on the node’s current view and the chosen commitment.
  • Commitment Level: The commitment level affects which slot is considered “current” for determining the leader. Using processed will give you the leader of the very latest slot the node is aware of, which might change rapidly and may not yet be confirmed by the broader network.
  • Leader Schedule: The sequence of slot leaders is determined by a leader schedule, which is calculated at the beginning of each epoch. Our guide on Slots, Blocks, and Epochs provides more details on this process. For a more comprehensive view of upcoming leaders, use getLeaderSchedule.
  • Node’s Perspective: The returned slot leader is based on the information available to the specific RPC node you are querying. Different nodes might have slightly different views due to network latency.

getSlotLeader provides a quick way to identify the validator currently responsible for producing blocks. For a broader view of the leader rotation, consider getLeaderSchedule.