DeFi Kingdoms for Commoners #6: Remote Procedure Call

Hello, reader! DeFi Kingdoms for Commoners series is written for audience who have little to no experience in the world of cryptocurrency. My main goal in writing this is to provide in-depth information about DeFi Kingdoms in simpler terms. This is the third installment of this series, feel free to click this link to access the previous articles. Happy learning!

What is DeFi Kingdoms?

DeFi Kingdoms is a game, a DEX, a liquidity pool opportunity, a market of rare utility driven NFTs, and it all plays out seamlessly in the incredibly nostalgic form of fantasy pixel art. It is launched on Harmony Network.

In this article, we are answering one question: What is Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and how is it relevant with DeFi Kingdoms?

Remote Procedure Call

Remote Procedure Call is a set of protocols and interfaces that the client interacts with blockchain system. The user can query the data stored in the blockchain and send a transaction request through RPC interface. It is a software communication protocol that one program can use to request a service from a program located in another computer on a network without having to understand the network’s details.

In simpler words, it is a place where multiple computer running on different internet service providers can retrieve data from the blockchain. It is the reason why the blockchain data in Asia is the same as the blockchain data in Europe.

DeFi Kingdoms data is stored in the blockchain, and the RPC is needed to retrieve that data and interact with it. When you buy a Hero, it needs to inquire the blockchain data how much JEWEL does it cost, who is the owner of the Hero now, and how much JEWEL you have. If you have enough and you approve the transaction, it will then proceed to interact with the blockchain data, get the appropriate JEWEL from your account, and transfer the ownership of the Hero to you. All of these things happen within seconds, and can be done anywhere due to the nature of the remote procedure calls. It is of utmost importance that the data is accurate and precise because multiples of millions of dollars are dependent on these transactions.

Adding Harmony RPC for DeFi Kingdoms

There are two RPCs for Harmony, the Harmony Mainnet, and the Harmony Pokt. The Harmony Network is mostly using the Mainnet, while the Pokt can be used in case of network issues or lags. Here’s how to add it in your MetaMask:

STEP 1: Click on the Upper Left Logo in your MetaMask, then Click Settings.

Steps a. and b. are indicated to further help you.

STEP 2. Click on Networks, then press Add Network.

STEP 3. Input the Harmony Network RPC information.

HARMONY MAINNETNetwork Name: Harmony Mainnet
New RPC URL: https://api.harmony.one
Chain ID: 1666600000
Currency Symbol: ONE
Block Explorer URL: https://explorer.harmony.one/HARMONY POCKETNetwork Name: Harmony POKT
New RPC URL: https://harmony-0-rpc.gateway.pokt.network
Chain ID: 1666600000
Currency Symbol: ONE
Block Explorer URL: https://explorer.harmony.one/

Important Note: If you have added the Harmony Mainnet in the past and you decide to add the Harmony Pokt in your MetaMask, you will be prompted with this message. In this case, you can ignore this message and proceed to add the network anyway. It will still work.

I am a crypto noob but I am interested. How do I start?

You have now set up your MetaMask wallet with the corresponding RPC. You are now ready to play DeFi Kingdoms! In the next few installments, we are going to tackle the basic aspects of DeFi Kingdoms, and of course — in much simpler terms, bite-sized information.