What the Hell is an RPC? (And Why Your Trading Strategy Needs One)

You know what’s frustrating? Watching your trading strategy miss opportunities because your software is too slow.

You’ve got the perfect algorithm, the market timing is right, but by the time your platform executes the trade, the moment is gone. Some other trader with better infrastructure took your money.

The difference usually comes down to something most people have never heard of: Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs). Let me explain using something more fun than technical documentation: video games.

The Gaming Analogy: You’re Playing an MMO

Imagine you’re playing World of Warcraft. You’re in a dungeon with your party, and you need to coordinate attacks. Here’s what happens:

The Old Way (HTTP/REST APIs): You: “Hey tank, can you taunt the boss?” You write a letter, put it in an envelope, mail it across the internet Tank: Opens letter moments later “Sure, I’ll taunt now!” Tank writes back, mails response You: Receive confirmation “Great! DPS, attack now!”

Result: The boss killed your entire party while you were playing postal service.

The RPC Way: You: “Tank.taunt(boss_id)” Tank: Immediately taunts “Done!” You: “DPS.attack(boss_id)” DPS: Already attacking

Result: Boss goes down fast. Victory dance ensues.

Why This Matters in Trading

In financial markets, those delays aren’t just annoying—they’re money bleeding out of your account.

Let’s say you’re running an arbitrage strategy between two exchanges. With traditional HTTP requests, you’re sending messages back and forth, waiting for responses, parsing data. By the time you execute, the opportunity is often gone.

Some high-frequency trader with better infrastructure already took it.

With RPCs, you’re calling functions directly. The round-trip time shrinks dramatically. You capture opportunities that others miss entirely.

How This Actually Works (Without the Boring Parts)

RPCs let you call functions on other computers like they’re running on yours. Your code says “hey, get my account balance” and it doesn’t matter if that balance is stored on your laptop or in a data center in Singapore.

// This could be local or remote - your code doesn't care
const balance = await getBalance(account_id);

The magic is that distance doesn’t slow things down. Whether the function runs next to your CPU or across the ocean, it feels the same to your trading strategy.

Why Most Trading Platforms Get This Wrong

Most trading platforms use REST APIs because they’re “easy” and “standard.” Here’s what they don’t tell you:

REST APIs are like ordering at a drive-through:

• You have to explain your entire order every time
• Wait for confirmation
• Park and wait for your food
• Drive away

RPCs are like having a personal chef:

• “Make my usual”
• Food appears instantly
• You keep eating

When you’re trying to catch fleeting opportunities in crypto or forex markets, you want the personal chef, not the drive-through.

Real-World Impact

We tested the same arbitrage strategy using both approaches. The REST API version captured about one in ten opportunities. The RPC version captured most of them.

That’s not a small improvement—it’s the difference between a strategy that barely breaks even and one that consistently performs.

The “But Everyone Uses REST” Trap

Here’s the thing: most retail trading platforms use REST because it’s what web developers know. But professional trading firms? They’ve been using binary protocols (like RPCs) for decades.

It’s like showing up to a Formula 1 race in a Honda Civic because “everyone drives cars.”

Why This Actually Matters for Trading

If you’re building trading strategies, speed isn’t just nice to have—it’s everything. The difference between using REST APIs and RPCs is like the difference between sending a letter and making a phone call.

Most platforms stick with REST because it’s what web developers know. But professional trading firms switched to binary protocols years ago. There’s a reason for that.

The Real Talk

RPCs aren’t just technical jargon. They’re what separate profitable strategies from almost-profitable ones.

While other traders are waiting for their HTTP requests to finish, you’re already in and out of positions. It’s like having cheat codes for trading, except these are completely legal and everyone could use them if they wanted to.

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Want to see this in action? Matchstick uses RPCs from the ground up. No REST API compromises, no JSON conversion delays.

Join the waitlist if you want trading tools that actually keep up with your strategies.