Websocket

Highly configurable real-time data streams.

Important: Laserstream is currently in private beta and not yet publicly available. Access is limited, and some features may still be under development.

Overview

For those wanting standard Solana WebSockets, Laserstream (via Helius) fully supports stable methods like programSubscribe, accountSubscribe, signatureSubscribe, etc. This approach provides real-time communication without needing to poll for updates.

Note: Solana WebSocket methods labeled as “unstable” (e.g. blockSubscribe, slotsUpdatesSubscribe, voteSubscribe) are not supported on shared infrastructure. They may be enabled only on dedicated nodes.

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Quickstart

1. Create a New Project

mkdir laserstream-ws-demo
cd laserstream-ws-demo
npm init -y

2. Install Dependencies

npm install ws

(This adds the ws library for Node.js WebSocket support.)

3. Obtain Your API Key

Generate a key from the Helius Dashboard.

4. Minimal Code Example

Create a file named index.js:

// index.js

const WebSocket = require('ws');

// 1. Connect to Laserstream WebSocket on Mainnet
const WS_URL = 'laserstream-ws-url';
const ws = new WebSocket(WS_URL);

// 2. Define a programSubscribe request (as an example)
function buildSubscriptionRequest() {
  return {
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    id: 1,
    method: "programSubscribe",
    params: [
      "6EF8rrecthR5Dkzon8Nwu78hRvfCKubJ14M5uBEwF6P", // Program to track
      {
        encoding: "jsonParsed",
        // fromSlot: 224339000 // Uncomment for replay from a specific slot
      }
    ]
  };
}

// 3. Keep connection alive with pings (30s interval)
function startPing(ws) {
  setInterval(() => {
    if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
      ws.ping();
      console.log("Ping sent");
    }
  }, 30000);
}

// 4. Set up event handlers
ws.on('open', () => {
  console.log("WebSocket is open");
  ws.send(JSON.stringify(buildSubscriptionRequest()));
  startPing(ws);
});

ws.on('message', (data) => {
  try {
    const msg = JSON.parse(data);
    console.log("Received:", msg);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error("Failed to parse JSON:", err);
  }
});

ws.on('error', (err) => {
  console.error("WebSocket error:", err);
});

ws.on('close', () => {
  console.log("WebSocket is closed");
});

5. Run and View Results

node index.js

Your console will log program updates whenever events involving the specified program occur.

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Code Examples

Example: Program Subscribe

const WebSocket = require('ws');
const ws = new WebSocket('laserstream-ws-url');

function sendRequest(ws) {
  const request = {
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    id: 1,
    method: "programSubscribe",
    params: [
      "6EF8rrecthR5Dkzon8Nwu78hRvfCKubJ14M5uBEwF6P",
      { "encoding": "jsonParsed" }
    ]
  };
  ws.send(JSON.stringify(request));
}

function startPing(ws) {
  setInterval(() => {
    if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
      ws.ping();
      console.log('Ping sent');
    }
  }, 30000);
}

ws.on('open', () => {
  console.log('WebSocket is open');
  sendRequest(ws);
  startPing(ws);
});

ws.on('message', (data) => {
  try {
    const msg = JSON.parse(data);
    console.log('Received:', msg);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Failed to parse JSON:', e);
  }
});

ws.on('error', (err) => {
  console.error('WebSocket error:', err);
});

ws.on('close', () => {
  console.log('WebSocket is closed');
});

Example: Signature Subscribe

Note: signatureSubscribe is typically cancelled automatically after a single notification (when the transaction is processed/finalized).

const WebSocket = require('ws');
const ws = new WebSocket('laserstream-ws-url');

function sendRequest(ws) {
  const request = {
    jsonrpc: "2.0",
    id: 1,
    method: "signatureSubscribe",
    params: [
      "2EBVM6cB8vAAD93Ktr6Vd8p67XPbQzCJX47MpReuiCXJAtcjaxpvWpcg9Ege1Nr5Tk3a2GFrByT7WPBjdsTycY9b",
      {
        "commitment": "finalized",
        "enableReceivedNotification": false
      }
    ]
  };
  ws.send(JSON.stringify(request));
}

function startPing(ws) {
  setInterval(() => {
    if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
      ws.ping();
      console.log('Ping sent');
    }
  }, 30000);
}

ws.on('open', () => {
  console.log('WebSocket is open');
  sendRequest(ws);
  startPing(ws);
});

ws.on('message', (data) => {
  try {
    const msg = JSON.parse(data);
    console.log('Received:', msg);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Failed to parse JSON:', e);
  }
});

ws.on('error', (err) => {
  console.error('WebSocket error:', err);
});

ws.on('close', () => {
  console.log('WebSocket is closed');
});

All of these standard WebSocket methods can optionally accept a fromSlot parameter in the same object as commitment and encoding. When specified, Laserstream will replay any relevant events from that slot forward until real-time. This feature is especially useful if your client was offline or disconnected and needs to catch up.