Update: There are now public RPCs available for Optimism which can be used in lieu of setting up your own RPC node with Alchemy. Simply use one of these public RPCs and continue from step 4.

https://rpc.ankr.com/optimism
https://optimism-mainnet.public.blastapi.io
https://optimism-rpc.gateway.pokt.network

Alternatives to Alchemy can be found here:

After the OP token launch, usage on Optimism skyrocketed and daily transactions increased almost 700% from the previous moving-average of 67k tx/day to a peak of 480k tx/day! The spike in usage had resulted in the official Optimism RPC endpoint becoming congested and led to users facing issues with dApp frontends.

Some users ingeniously switched RPCs and all their woes were solved, as the chain was still functioning correctly despite the surge in traffic.

This article will guide you on setting-up a private RPC endpoint using Alchemy - useful in case you have to make a time-sensitive transaction during periods of high network congestion (e.g., managing debt, or deleveraging on Perp Protocol!🥨).

Step 1 - Head to Alchemy’s website

Head to Alchemy’s website below and sign-up for an account - sign-ups are free and only require email verification.

Step 2 - Create an App

After logging in, click on “Create App” on your dashboard and fill in the values (this can be anything you like!).

Switch the chain to ‘Optimism’ and network to ‘Optimism Mainnet’.

Step 3 - Copy your HTTP link

After creating your app, click ‘View Key’ on the top-right of your app dashboard and copy the HTTP link (this part is important!).

Step 4 - Add the network to your wallet

Once you’ve copied your HTTP key, head to your wallet (I’ll be using Metamask in the tutorial) and add a new network (if you’ve never done this manually before, this can be found in Settings → Network → Add network). Being in full-screen view helps a lot with this step!

Enter the values in as shown below:

Network Name: Optimism (Alchemy)
New RPC URL: (enter HTTP URL from step 3 here)
Chain ID: 10
Currency Symbol: ETH
Block Explorer URL: http://optimistic.etherscan.io/

Once complete, switch your network over to Optimism (Alchemy), and you’re now using your very own private RPC endpoint!

Make sure to try out all the new protocols on Optimism - Perp Protocol is a personal favourite with their godly UI - check it out here:

Now it’s time to surf the waves during #OPSummer! 🏖️🌴🔴✨🥨