Monitor Solana Accounts Using WebSockets and Solana Kit

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Monitoring on-chain activity in real time is essential for developers building dynamic applications on Solana. With the release of Solana Kit—the modernized successor to Solana Web3.js 2.0—handling WebSocket subscriptions has become more intuitive, type-safe, and developer-friendly. This guide walks you through setting up a robust account monitoring system using Solana Kit’s improved subscription API, enabling you to track balance changes with precision and efficiency.

Whether you're building a DeFi dashboard, NFT marketplace, or real-time analytics tool, understanding how to monitor Solana accounts via WebSockets is a foundational skill. Let’s dive into the implementation step by step.

Key Improvements in Solana Kit

Solana Kit introduces significant enhancements over the legacy Web3.js library, particularly in how WebSocket subscriptions are managed:

These updates make Solana Kit ideal for production-grade applications that require reliable, real-time blockchain monitoring.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Before writing any code, ensure your environment supports the latest tooling.

Step 1: Initialize the Project

Create a new directory and initialize an npm project:

mkdir solana-subscriptions-v2 && cd solana-subscriptions-v2
npm init -y

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install both runtime and development dependencies:

npm install @solana/kit
npm install --save-dev typescript ts-node @types/node

Step 3: Configure TypeScript

Create a tsconfig.json file with modern module resolution settings:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "module": "NodeNext",
    "moduleResolution": "NodeNext",
    "noEmit": true,
    "target": "ESNext"
  }
}

This configuration ensures compatibility with the latest ECMAScript features and Node.js module system.

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Building the Account Monitor

Now that your environment is ready, let's implement a real-time account monitor.

Step 1: Import Required Modules

In a new file named app.ts, import the necessary components from Solana Kit:

import {
  createSolanaRpcSubscriptions,
  RpcSubscriptions,
  address,
  Address
} from '@solana/kit';

Step 2: Define Constants

Set up key values including your WebSocket endpoint and the target account:

const WSS_PROVIDER_URL = 'wss://your-quicknode-endpoint.example';
const LAMPORTS_PER_SOL = 1_000_000_000;
const PUMP_FUN_FEE_ACCOUNT = address("CebN5WGQ4jvEPvsVU4EoHEpgzq1VV7AbicfhtW4xC9iM");

Replace WSS_PROVIDER_URL with a valid Solana Mainnet WebSocket endpoint from your provider.

Note: The address() function ensures type safety by converting a string into a validated Address object—a requirement in Solana Kit.

Step 3: Format Balance Output

Create a helper function to convert lamports to human-readable SOL amounts:

const lamportsToSolString = (lamports: number, includeUnit = true): string => {
  const solAmount = lamports / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL;
  return `${solAmount.toLocaleString('en-US', {
    minimumFractionDigits: 2,
    maximumFractionDigits: 2
  })}${includeUnit ? ' SOL' : ''}`;
};

Step 4: Define Tracking Interface

Structure the input parameters for clarity:

interface TrackAccountArgs {
  rpcSubscriptions: RpcSubscriptions;
  accountAddress: Address;
  abortSignal: AbortSignal;
}

Step 5: Implement Account Tracking Logic

Write the core function that subscribes to account changes:

async function trackAccount({ rpcSubscriptions, accountAddress, abortSignal }: TrackAccountArgs) {
  let lastLamports: number | null = null;

  try {
    const accountNotifications = await rpcSubscriptions
      .accountNotifications(accountAddress, { commitment: 'confirmed' })
      .subscribe({ abortSignal });

    try {
      for await (const notification of accountNotifications) {
        const { slot } = notification.context;
        const currentLamports = Number(notification.value.lamports);
        const delta = lastLamports !== null ? currentLamports - lastLamports : 0;
        const sign = delta > 0 ? '+' : delta < 0 ? '-' : ' ';
        
        console.log(`Account change detected at slot ${slot.toLocaleString()}. New Balance: ${lamportsToSolString(currentLamports)} (${sign}${lamportsToSolString(Math.abs(delta))})`);
        lastLamports = currentLamports;
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Notification processing error:", error);
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Subscription setup failed:", error);
  }
}

This function uses async iteration to listen for updates and calculates balance deltas for clear logging.

Step 6: Set Up Entry Point

Add the main execution block:

async function main() {
  console.log(`💊 Tracking Pump.fun Fee Account: ${PUMP_FUN_FEE_ACCOUNT} 💊`);
  const rpcSubscriptions = createSolanaRpcSubscriptions(WSS_PROVIDER_URL);
  const abortController = new AbortController();

  try {
    await trackAccount({
      rpcSubscriptions,
      accountAddress: PUMP_FUN_FEE_ACCOUNT,
      abortSignal: abortController.signal
    });
  } catch (e) {
    console.log('Subscription error', e);
  } finally {
    abortController.abort();
  }
}

main();

The AbortController ensures proper cleanup when the process ends or errors occur.

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Running the Monitor

Execute your script using:

npx ts-node app.ts

You’ll see output like:

Account change detected at slot 301,428,932. New Balance: 265,598.16 SOL (+0.14 SOL)

Each line reflects a confirmed balance change on the monitored account—ideal for dashboards or alert systems.

Optimizing Costs and Performance

WebSocket usage impacts API costs. Key considerations:

Efficient resource management ensures scalability without unexpected charges.

Alternative Real-Time Data Solutions

While WebSockets are great for simple use cases, consider these alternatives for complex needs:

Choose based on latency, filtering needs, and infrastructure complexity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Solana Kit?
A: Solana Kit is the updated JavaScript/TypeScript SDK for interacting with the Solana blockchain, replacing Web3.js with better typing, modularity, and developer experience.

Q: Why use WebSockets instead of polling?
A: WebSockets provide real-time updates with lower latency and reduced network load compared to repeated HTTP polling.

Q: Can I monitor multiple accounts simultaneously?
A: Yes—create separate subscriptions for each account or use program-level subscriptions to track all accounts tied to a specific program.

Q: How do I handle connection failures?
A: Implement reconnection logic using retry loops and ensure AbortController is used to prevent memory leaks.

Q: Is there a rate limit on WebSocket connections?
A: While there's no fixed limit on connections, providers may throttle based on usage patterns or credit availability.

Q: Can I filter notifications by balance change size?
A: Not natively—filtering must be done in your application logic after receiving the event.

Conclusion

Solana Kit elevates real-time blockchain monitoring with improved type safety, cleaner syntax, and better resource control. By leveraging its WebSocket subscription model, developers can build responsive, efficient applications that react instantly to on-chain activity.

From DeFi trackers to trading bots, the ability to monitor accounts in real time is a game-changer. With proper setup and optimization, you can maintain high performance while minimizing cost and complexity.

Core keywords naturally integrated: Solana Kit, WebSockets, account monitoring, real-time blockchain data, TypeScript, RPC subscriptions, balance tracking, Solana development.