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BlockDaemon vs Alchemy: Custom Enterprise Agreements

A technical and commercial analysis of BlockDaemon and Alchemy's enterprise-grade offerings, focusing on custom pricing, SLAs, private infrastructure, and compliance for protocols and institutions with high-volume, high-security needs.
Chainscore © 2026
introduction
THE ANALYSIS

Introduction: The Enterprise RPC Decision

Choosing between BlockDaemon and Alchemy for enterprise RPC needs hinges on infrastructure philosophy versus developer-centric tooling.

BlockDaemon excels at dedicated, compliant infrastructure because of its enterprise-first heritage and multi-cloud, bare-metal node deployments. For example, its 99.9%+ SLA and SOC 2 Type II compliance are table stakes for regulated entities like financial institutions. Its AppChains-as-a-Service offering for networks like Polygon Supernets and Avalanche Subnets provides a turnkey solution for projects needing sovereign execution environments.

Alchemy takes a different approach by building a unified, data-enriched developer platform on top of its global node network. This results in superior tooling integration—like its Enhanced APIs for Ethereum and Polygon—but less direct control over physical infrastructure. Its strength is accelerating development cycles for dApps requiring advanced data indexing, webhook alerts, and seamless integration with tools like Hardhat and Foundry.

The key trade-off: If your priority is infrastructure sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and dedicated performance for high-value transactions, choose BlockDaemon. If you prioritize developer velocity, advanced data tooling, and a unified suite for rapid prototyping and scaling across multiple chains, choose Alchemy.

tldr-summary
BlockDaemon vs. Alchemy

TL;DR: Key Differentiators at a Glance

A direct comparison of enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure providers for CTOs and architects evaluating custom agreements.

01

BlockDaemon: Multi-Chain Infrastructure Specialists

Specialized in node operations and staking: Operates over 70+ blockchain protocols (e.g., Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Cosmos). This matters for enterprises needing dedicated, compliant infrastructure across a diverse portfolio, especially in regulated sectors like finance.

70+
Protocols
99.95%
SLA Uptime
02

Alchemy: Developer-Centric Web3 API Platform

Optimized for application development and scale: Provides enhanced APIs (e.g., Supernode, NFT API) and tools that abstract RPC complexity. This matters for high-throughput dApps and consumer products requiring global reliability, advanced debugging (Alchemy Monitor), and rapid feature iteration.

$200B+
On-chain Value
10M+
Devs Served
03

Choose BlockDaemon For

  • Institutional Staking & Custody: Full-stack solutions for tokenized assets and validator management.
  • Private, Dedicated Nodes: On-premise or cloud-deployed nodes with full control and compliance (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR).
  • Multi-Chain Consensus Participation: Running validators across Proof-of-Stake networks like Cosmos, Polkadot, and Ethereum.
  • Use Case: A bank building a private, permissioned blockchain or a fund managing staking for multiple assets.
04

Choose Alchemy For

  • Hyper-Scale dApp Backend: Powering top DeFi (Aave, OpenSea) and consumer apps with global, load-balanced infrastructure.
  • Advanced Developer Tooling: Need for enhanced APIs, Webhooks, Mempool streaming, and comprehensive analytics dashboards.
  • Rapid Prototyping to Enterprise: Seamless scaling from startup to unicorn with a unified API suite across Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, and more.
  • Use Case: A high-growth NFT marketplace or a DeFi protocol requiring sub-second latency and real-time data feeds.
05

BlockDaemon Trade-off

Strength in depth over breadth of tools. While excellent for core infrastructure and staking, its suite of application-layer developer tools (like enhanced APIs for NFT or DeFi) is less extensive than Alchemy's. You may need to integrate additional services for advanced dApp features.

06

Alchemy Trade-off

Optimized for public API access over fully private deployment. While offering dedicated tiers, its core model is a managed, multi-tenant platform. For enterprises requiring air-gapped, on-premise node deployment or deep customization of the node client itself, BlockDaemon's model is more tailored.

ENTERPRISE NODE INFRASTRUCTURE

BlockDaemon vs Alchemy: Enterprise Feature Comparison

Direct comparison of key enterprise-grade features and service levels for blockchain node infrastructure.

Metric / FeatureBlockDaemonAlchemy

Enterprise SLA Guarantee

99.95%

99.99%

Custom Private RPC Endpoints

Dedicated Node Clusters

On-Premises Deployment

Multi-Cloud Support (AWS, GCP, Azure)

Supported Chains

100+

20+

Enterprise Support (24/7 SLAs)

Audit Logs & Compliance Reporting

CHOOSE YOUR PRIORITY

When to Choose: Decision by Use Case

BlockDaemon for Enterprise DeFi

Verdict: The institutional-grade choice for regulated, high-value applications. Strengths: BlockDaemon excels with its dedicated, air-gapped infrastructure and custom SLAs for uptime and data consistency, critical for protocols like Aave or Compound managing billions in TVL. Their enterprise key management and on-premise deployment options satisfy stringent compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001) for TradFi institutions. Support for bespoke MEV strategies and private transaction routing is a key differentiator.

Alchemy for Enterprise DeFi

Verdict: Superior for rapid iteration and scaling high-throughput, user-facing DeFi. Strengths: Alchemy's Supernode provides unparalleled reliability (>99.9% uptime) and speed for read/write operations, essential for DEXs like Uniswap. Their Enhanced APIs (e.g., alchemy_getAssetTransfers) simplify complex data aggregation. The Pay-As-You-Go model with committed-use discounts is cost-effective for scaling unpredictable traffic, though custom agreements focus more on volume than unique infra.

pros-cons-a
ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE DEEP DIVE

BlockDaemon vs Alchemy: Custom Enterprise Agreements

A data-driven comparison of custom enterprise agreements from two leading node providers, highlighting key differentiators for CTOs and Protocol Architects.

01

BlockDaemon's Strength: Institutional-Grade Security & Compliance

Dedicated, air-gapped infrastructure: Offers private, single-tenant clusters with SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance. This is critical for regulated DeFi protocols (e.g., Ondo Finance, Maple Finance) and financial institutions requiring strict data sovereignty and audit trails.

SOC 2 Type II
Compliance
100%
Private Tenancy
02

BlockDaemon's Strength: Multi-Chain & Bespoke SLAs

Custom Service Level Agreements with financial penalties for uptime (<99.9%), block finality, and API latency. Supports 70+ networks (Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, Avalanche) with unified management. Ideal for enterprises building cross-chain products or requiring guaranteed performance metrics in contracts.

70+
Supported Chains
>99.9%
SLA Uptime
03

Alchemy's Strength: Developer Velocity & Advanced APIs

Superior developer tooling with enhanced APIs like alchemy_getTransactionReceipts and NFT API. Powers major dApps (OpenSea, Aave) with rapid iteration. Best for high-growth Web3 startups and consumer apps where developer experience and feature speed are paramount over custom infrastructure.

10x
Faster Dev Cycles
04

Alchemy's Strength: Scalability & Ecosystem Integration

Massively scalable shared infrastructure with proven handling of peak loads (e.g., NFT mints). Deep integrations with ecosystem tools (The Graph, Covalent). Optimal for applications with unpredictable, viral demand or those heavily reliant on a broad Ethereum-centric toolchain.

$200B+
Annualized On-chain Volume
pros-cons-b
BLOCKDAEMON VS ALCHEMY

Alchemy: Pros and Cons for Enterprise

Key strengths and trade-offs for custom enterprise agreements at a glance.

01

Alchemy's Strength: Developer Velocity

Superior API & SDK ecosystem: Alchemy's APIs (Enhanced APIs, Webhooks, Notify) and robust SDKs are purpose-built for rapid dApp development. This matters for enterprises needing to launch and iterate quickly on EVM chains like Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum without deep infra management.

02

Alchemy's Strength: Data Depth & Reliability

Industry-leading data consistency: Processes over $1T+ in on-chain transaction volume with 99.9%+ reliability SLA. Their proprietary Supernode architecture provides deep historical data and real-time mempool access, critical for high-frequency trading desks and data-sensitive DeFi protocols.

03

BlockDaemon's Strength: Multi-Chain & Customization

True multi-protocol infrastructure: Supports 100+ protocols (EVM, Cosmos, Solana, Polkadot, etc.) with a unified control plane. This matters for enterprises building cross-chain products or requiring bespoke node configurations (validators, archival nodes) that Alchemy's managed service doesn't offer.

04

BlockDaemon's Strength: Compliance & Sovereignty

On-premise & private cloud deployments: Offers dedicated, air-gapped node deployments for regulated entities in finance (MiCA, GDPR). Their Ubiquity platform provides granular governance controls, which is essential for TradFi institutions and enterprises with strict data residency requirements.

ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE

Technical Deep Dive: Architecture and SLAs

For CTOs and architects, the choice between BlockDaemon and Alchemy hinges on core architectural philosophies and the nature of their service-level agreements. This section breaks down the technical trade-offs and contract specifics that define enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure.

Yes, BlockDaemon's architecture is fundamentally designed for maximum enterprise reliability. It operates a global network of dedicated, bare-metal nodes, providing superior isolation and predictable performance. Alchemy's multi-tenant, cloud-optimized Supernode architecture prioritizes developer velocity and scalability, which can introduce more variable latency under extreme load. For mission-critical applications like institutional trading or high-value NFT minting, BlockDaemon's dedicated infrastructure offers a higher baseline of reliability and control.

verdict
THE ANALYSIS

Final Verdict and Decision Framework

Choosing between BlockDaemon and Alchemy for a custom enterprise agreement hinges on your organization's primary need: infrastructure control versus developer velocity.

BlockDaemon excels at providing direct, auditable infrastructure control because it specializes in dedicated, white-glove node deployment and management. For enterprises in regulated sectors like TradFi or high-frequency trading, this translates to provable data sovereignty, custom security configurations, and the ability to run nodes in specific geographic or cloud regions. Their 99.9%+ SLA for dedicated infrastructure and support for 100+ protocols including Polygon, Avalanche, and Cosmos SDK chains caters to complex, multi-chain strategies where infrastructure is a core competency.

Alchemy takes a different approach by abstracting infrastructure complexity behind a unified, high-performance API layer. This strategy results in superior developer productivity and scalability for application-focused teams. Their Supernode architecture delivers industry-leading reliability and speed, processing billions of requests daily with sub-100ms latency. The trade-off is less direct control over the underlying node software; you are buying an outcome (data, transactions) rather than managing the machinery. Their strength lies in tools like the Alchemy Notify webhook system and enhanced APIs that accelerate development on Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum.

The key trade-off: If your priority is infrastructure sovereignty, regulatory compliance, or bespoke multi-chain deployment, choose BlockDaemon. Their model is built for enterprises that need to own and audit the stack. If you prioritize developer velocity, API reliability, and building scalable dApps with minimal DevOps overhead, choose Alchemy. Their platform is optimized for teams that want blockchain data as a utility, not an infrastructure project.

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BlockDaemon vs Alchemy: Custom Enterprise Agreements | ChainScore Comparisons