Celo RPC Endpoint

Fast, flat-rate Celo RPC node provider — free tier, no KYC, HTTP & WebSocket.

Celo is a mobile-first network that migrated from a standalone Layer 1 to an Ethereum Layer 2 in March 2025, built on the OP Stack with EigenDA for data availability. SwiftNodes provides Celo mainnet RPC over HTTP and WebSocket.

Network: Celo
Type: EVM
Chain ID: 42220
Slug: celo
Native token: CELO (Celo)
Block time: ~1 second
Finality: Inherits Ethereum finality (OP Stack L2)
Mainnet: 2020 as L1; migrated to Ethereum L2 on March 26, 2025
Category: Layer 2 (OP Stack, EigenDA)

About Celo

Celo originally launched as a Layer 1 in 2020 and completed its transition to an Ethereum Layer 2 at block 31,056,500 on March 26, 2025, using Optimism's OP Stack and EigenDA. Block times decreased from about 5 seconds to roughly 1 second after the migration.

Celo keeps chain ID 42220, and CELO remains the native gas token with ERC-20-style token duality. The network focuses on mobile-friendly payments and stablecoins (such as cUSD), and developers use standard Solidity contracts and Ethereum tooling.

Common Use Cases on Celo

  • Mobile-first payments
  • Stablecoin transfers (cUSD, cEUR)
  • DeFi protocols
  • Regenerative finance (ReFi)
  • Real-world asset and impact projects

Celo Ecosystem

Hosts mobile-focused DeFi and stablecoin apps including Mento (cUSD/cEUR), Ubeswap, and a range of ReFi projects; native stablecoins are central to the ecosystem.

HTTP Endpoint

https://rpc.swiftnodes.io/rpc/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY

WebSocket Endpoint

wss://rpc.swiftnodes.io/ws/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY

Quick Start: Connect to Celo

cURL

curl -X POST https://rpc.swiftnodes.io/rpc/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'

ethers.js

import { JsonRpcProvider } from "ethers";

const provider = new JsonRpcProvider(
  "https://rpc.swiftnodes.io/rpc/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY"
);

const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
console.log("Celo block:", blockNumber);

viem

import { createPublicClient, http } from "viem";

const client = createPublicClient({
  transport: http("https://rpc.swiftnodes.io/rpc/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY"),
});

const blockNumber = await client.getBlockNumber();

web3.py

from web3 import Web3

w3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider("https://rpc.swiftnodes.io/rpc/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY"))
print("Celo block:", w3.eth.block_number)

Add Celo to MetaMask

Network Name: Celo (SwiftNodes)
RPC URL: https://rpc.swiftnodes.io/rpc/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY
Chain ID: 42220
Currency Symbol: CELO
WebSocket: wss://rpc.swiftnodes.io/ws/celo?key=YOUR_API_KEY

Bridging to Celo

Following the L2 migration, Celo supports native bridging to Ethereum via the OP Stack; third-party bridges such as Wormhole and Squid/Axelar connect it to other chains.

Features of SwiftNodes for Celo

  • Multiple load-balanced upstream nodes for high availability
  • Health-checked every 60 seconds with automatic failover
  • Free tier available — no credit card or KYC required
  • Flat-rate monthly pricing with no per-request fees
  • HTTP and WebSocket support
  • One API key works across all 75+ supported chains, including Celo

Rate Limits

PlanPriceHTTP req/sWS msg/s
Free$0/mo21
Starter$49/mo5025
Growth$89/mo15075
Scale$149/mo300150
Pro$249/mo500250

Frequently Asked Questions: Celo

What's Celo's chain ID?

Celo mainnet is chain ID 42220, unchanged after the L2 migration.

Is Celo a Layer 1 or Layer 2?

Celo became an Ethereum Layer 2 on March 26, 2025, after operating as a Layer 1 since 2020.

What is CELO token duality?

CELO functions both as the native gas currency and as an ERC-20-compatible token on the chain.

Is WebSocket supported?

Yes - SwiftNodes provides HTTP and WebSocket (wss://) endpoints with eth_subscribe support.

Ready to start building on Celo? Connect your wallet and get a free API key in 30 seconds. No email or KYC required.