Skip to main content

​
Compute Unit (CU) Pricing Model

BlockDB uses a Compute Unit (CU) pricing model that charges based on the computational complexity of each API endpoint. This ensures you only pay for what you use, without being forced into expensive plans for simple queries.

​
How Compute Units Work

Each API request consumes a fixed number of Compute Units determined by the data layer — not by result size or pagination depth.
LevelCU / requestEndpoint FamilyEndpoint
L11 CURaw history, JSON-RPC, Lineage, Verificationevm/raw/blocks
evm/raw/blocks/summary
evm/raw/transactions
evm/raw/logs
evm/raw/contracts
evm/raw/function-results
evm/raw/internal-transactions
evm/rpc
evm/lineage/parents
evm/verify/receipt-root
evm/verify/logs-bloom
L240 CUEntities, Lineage recordevm/tokens/erc20
evm/tokens/erc721
evm/tokens/erc1155
evm/pools
evm/pools/fee-terms
evm/lineage/record
L380 CUReserves, Transfers, Swaps, Price prints, Lineage genesisevm/reserves
evm/transfers/token-transfers
evm/swaps/fees
evm/prices/spot/crypto/prints
evm/lineage/genesis
L480 CUCrypto price analytics, Yieldsevm/prices/spot/crypto/vwap
evm/prices/spot/crypto/ohlc
evm/prices/spot/crypto/depth
evm/prices/spot/crypto/impact-grid
evm/yields
evm/yields/ranges
L5100 CUCrypto LWAPevm/prices/spot/crypto/lwap
L6100 CUFiat prices, TVLevm/prices/spot/fiat/vwap
evm/prices/spot/fiat/ohlc
evm/tvl
CU consumption is calculated per request. Result size and pagination do not affect CU cost — only the endpoint level determines the CU value.

​
CU Billing & Tracking

​
How CU Consumption is Tracked

Query the GET /usage endpoint to retrieve your current CU consumption, remaining quota, and detailed usage statistics. This endpoint is free to use and does not consume Compute Units.
The /usage endpoint provides comprehensive usage data including consumption by dataset, billing period information, and rate limits.

​
Overage Handling

When you exceed your monthly CU allowance:
  • Hard limits: API requests are blocked once your CU allowance is exhausted
  • Additional packages: Purchase additional CU packages to continue using the API
  • No automatic overage charges: You control when to purchase additional CUs—no unexpected charges
  • Package options: Additional CU packages are available in various sizes to match your needs
Once your CU allowance is exhausted, API requests will return 429 Too Many Requests until you purchase an additional CU package. Plan your usage accordingly to avoid service interruptions.

​
Pricing Examples

​
Example 1: Raw block query (L1)

POST /evm/raw/blocks
CU cost: 1 CU

​
Example 2: ERC-20 token lookup (L2)

POST /evm/tokens/erc20
CU cost: 40 CU

​
Example 3: Fiat VWAP price (L6)

POST /evm/prices/spot/fiat/vwap
CU cost: 100 CU

​
Example 4: Multi-step analysis workflow

POST /evm/raw/blocks              (find block range)  →    1 CU  [L1]
POST /evm/raw/logs                (filter events)     →    1 CU  [L1]
POST /evm/reserves                (pool snapshot)     →   80 CU  [L3]
POST /evm/prices/spot/crypto/ohlc (crypto OHLC)       →   80 CU  [L4]
POST /evm/prices/spot/fiat/vwap   (fiat benchmark)    →  100 CU  [L6]
                                                Total: 262 CU
L1 raw history calls are very cheap — ideal for backfilling or bulk data work. Reserve higher-level budget (L5–L6) for analytics endpoints that cross-reference multiple data sources and markets.

​
See Also