Blast API vs QuickNode: Privacy-First Node Infrastructure

Native ZK-Rollup Support: Built-in infrastructure for StarkNet, zkSync, and Aztec. This matters for protocols requiring on-chain privacy for transactions or state, such as private DeFi (e.g., zk.money) or confidential NFTs.

Pre-Bundled Flashbots Protect: All RPC endpoints include MEV protection to shield user transactions from front-running. This matters for DEX aggregators and high-frequency trading bots where transaction order is critical to profitability.

Dedicated Node Isolation: Offers physically separate hardware and network paths for high-compliance clients. This matters for institutional traders (e.g., hedge funds) and regulated entities that must prove data sovereignty and audit trails.

Granular Access Logs & Webhook Alerts: Provides detailed, queryable logs of all RPC activity and configurable alerts. This matters for security teams monitoring for suspicious activity and for projects needing to comply with internal governance policies.

Native MEV protection: Blast's private transaction pool and encrypted mempool prevent front-running and sandwich attacks by default. This matters for DeFi protocols like Uniswap or Aave where transaction privacy directly impacts user profitability.

Granular RPC-level privacy: Developers can enforce privacy settings (e.g., eth_sendRawTransaction with privacy flags) at the API call level. This matters for building compliant financial applications that require transaction opacity for specific operations, similar to Aztec or Tornado Cash's approach.

Standard mempool exposure: QuickNode relays transactions to the public mempool by default, leaving them vulnerable to MEV bots. While they offer add-ons like Flashbots Protect, it's a bolt-on solution, not native infrastructure. This matters for high-value NFT mints or token launches where front-running is a critical risk.

Enterprise-grade compliance tools: QuickNode provides detailed transaction tracing, audit logs, and compliance-ready data feeds that can be essential for regulated entities. This matters for institutions or protocols operating under MiCA or other financial regulations, where auditability is non-negotiable.

Dedicated, single-tenant nodes: Isolate your infrastructure and data from shared public pools. This matters for protocols handling sensitive on-chain data or requiring strict compliance (e.g., DeFi protocols, institutional trading).

Granular access logs and audit trails: Monitor all RPC calls and user activity. This matters for security teams needing to trace data access for SOC2 compliance or internal security reviews.

Premium pricing for dedicated nodes: Privacy features are gated behind higher-tier plans (Growth & Business). This matters for bootstrapped projects or those with variable, low-volume traffic where cost is a primary constraint.

Basic and Startup plans use shared infrastructure: Your traffic and request patterns are not fully isolated from other users. This matters for developers who assume all node services offer default privacy, potentially exposing application logic.

Zero-trust architecture with request isolation: All plans, including the free tier, implement traffic segregation and anonymization. This matters for dApp developers who need baseline privacy without upfront budget approval.

Strips IP addresses and identifying headers from RPC requests before they reach the node client. This matters for applications where user anonymity is critical, such as privacy-focused wallets or mixers.

Younger infrastructure with smaller network footprint compared to established players. This matters for enterprises requiring a multi-year track record of uptime and support for complex, global deployments.

Limited direct partnerships with major security and monitoring platforms (e.g., Splunk, Datadog). This matters for large engineering teams with existing DevOps and SIEM toolchains that require seamless integration.