Error: tracing failed: insufficient funds for gas * price + value

When working with EVM chains (e.g., Ethereum, Arbitrum, Fantom), you may occasionally encounter the following error when tracing transactions or blocks:

{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 0,
    "error": {
        "code": -32000,
        "message": "tracing failed: insufficient funds for gas * price + value"
    }
}

What Is This?

This error may appear due to a bug in EVM node client software (e.g., Geth, Erigon, Nitro). It usually affects trace operations such as debug_traceBlockByNumber, debug_traceBlockByHash, and other related methods. The issue arises when the node attempts to simulate historical transactions and incorrectly reports insufficient funds, even though the transactions may have been valid and successfully processed on-chain.

Why Does This Happen?

• Node Client Bug: The error usually originates from the node software itself, not from Tatum. Example GitHub issue.
• Version-Specific: It often appears after node client updates where the bug may have been reintroduced. Example pull request.

What Can You Do?

• Wait for a Node Client Update: The issue will be resolved when the blockchain consortium (e.g., Arbitrum, Fantom) releases an updated node version with a fix.
• Nodes Will Be Updated Automatically: Once an official node release includes a fix, the updated version will be deployed as part of regular maintenance processes.

Key Takeaways

• This is a known, recurring issue tied to the blockchain’s node client software.
• Tatum is not responsible for this error and cannot modify node client code directly.
• Resolution depends on updates from the blockchain consortium, which Tatum will schedule once available.

If you encounter this error, we recommend monitoring the relevant blockchain’s release notes or awaiting updates from Tatum after the issue is resolved upstream.