WebSocket is a bi-directional, full-duplex communication protocol that enables real-time communication between the server and the client. Unlike HTTP, which uses a request-response model, WebSocket allows data to be transmitted asynchronously over a single, persistent connection.
This allows for faster and more efficient communication between the client and the server, as data can be sent and received in real-time without the need for repeated requests. In the context of Web3, WebSocket can be used to implement real-time communication between the dApp and the blockchain node.
This enables the dApp to receive real-time updates on blockchain events, such as new blocks or transactions, without the need for repeated polling. This can greatly improve the user experience and reduce the load on the network. To implement WebSocket in Web3, developers can use the ‘web3.js’ library, which provides a WebSocket provider alongside the HTTP provider.
The WebSocket provider can be instantiated by passing a WebSocket URL as the provider argument to the Web3 constructor, allowing the dApp to connect to a WebSocket-enabled blockchain node. Once connected, the dApp can use the Web3 API to interact with the blockchain in real-time.