---
updatedAt: 2026-03-05T10:56:24.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.tatum.io/llms.txt
---

# eth_getcode

Avalanche RPC

### How to use it

```typescript
// yarn add @tatumio/tatum

import { TatumSDK, AvalancheC, Network } from '@tatumio/tatum'

const tatum = await TatumSDK.init<AvalancheC>({ network: Network.AVALANCHE_C })

const code = await tatum.rpc.getCode('0x5377CAF64CF02c1320c66030fbe3773431377daC')

await tatum.destroy() // Destroy Tatum SDK - needed for stopping background jobs
```

### Overview

The `eth_getCode` method is part of the JSON-RPC API, which allows users to interact with the blockchain. This method is specifically used to retrieve the contract code (bytecode) of an account at a specific block number. It is helpful when developers need to examine the bytecode of a deployed contract or validate that the contract code on the blockchain matches the intended code.

Use cases for this method could include:

* Debugging a smart contract
* Verifying the integrity of a deployed contract
* Analyzing contract bytecode for security vulnerabilities

### Parameters

The `eth_getCode` method accepts two parameters:

1. **`address`** (string): The address of the contract whose bytecode you want to retrieve. This should be a 20-byte address, formatted as a hex string with a `0x` prefix.
   * Example: `"0x5377CAF64CF02c1320c66030fbe3773431377daC"`
2. **`block`** (string): The block number at which you want to retrieve the contract code. This can be specified as a hex string or one of the following special keywords:
   * `"earliest"`: The first block in the blockchain
   * `"latest"`: The most recent block in the blockchain
   * `"pending"`: The upcoming block that is being mined
   * Example: `"0x1"` or `"latest"`

### Return Object

The `eth_getCode` method returns a string representing the contract bytecode. The returned value is a hex string with a `0x` prefix.

* If the account has contract code, the returned string will contain the bytecode.
* If the account is not a contract or does not exist, the returned string will be `0x`.

### JSON Examples

#### Request

```json
{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "eth_getCode",
  "params": ["0x5377CAF64CF02c1320c66030fbe3773431377daC", "latest"]
}
```

#### Response

```json
{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "0x606060...code_here...3839"
}
```