shouldiuse.io

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VERDICT

Should I use Ankr?

Build on Web3 with a fast, reliable and distributed network of blockchain nodes. Earn with Liquid Staking and integrate it to power your app. - ankr.com

Depends. Buy for Web3 developers who need free or credit-based RPC across 70+ chains; start on the free tier before committing. Skip the liquid staking products if you can't stomach multiple past exploits, and compare Alchemy or QuickNode for production workloads.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 40+ public sources; several review and security snippets were truncated at the source.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usability evidence found
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free RPC

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Pay-as-you-goCredit-based

Best for

  • Web3 devs needing multi-chain RPC
  • Hobbyists testing on 70+ chains
  • dApps integrating liquid staking
  • Teams wanting enterprise node hosting

Not for

  • Risk-averse stakers holding large sums
  • Non-crypto products; this is Web3-only
  • Production teams wanting Alchemy's reliability reputation
  • Buyers needing strong public support track record

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Dec 2022 exploit minted 6 quadrillion tokens; ~$20M drained across Ankr and Helio

high

2026 Flow EVM liquid-staking vulnerability drained roughly $410K

high

Stakers report unresolved fund issues and outright scam accusations on Reddit

medium

Guess: free public RPC is rate-limited; production traffic pushes you into paid credits

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free public RPC endpoints across 70+ blockchains
  • Publishes transparent credit-based pricing
  • Achieved SOC 2 Type II certification
  • Microsoft partnership for enterprise node services
  • Decentralized node network noted favorably in RPC provider comparisons

Cons

  • Repeated exploits: 2021 attack, 2022 hack, 2026 Flow staking drain
  • Reddit users allege staking scam and lost funds
  • rates it a modest 3.4/5
  • Ex-team member allegedly planted malicious code causing BNBC token exploits

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/02/2026 - 11 sources - History of exploits (2021, 2022, 2026) now sits alongside SOC 2 Type II certification.

official x3review x4news x4
  • Dec 2022 token minting exploit, Attack minted 6 quadrillion ANKR tokens; ~$20M drained across Ankr and Helio; Forbes reported it looked like an inside job.
  • Malicious code by ex-team member, Ankr said a former team member placed malicious code enabling BNBC token exploits.
  • 2026 Flow EVM staking exploit, Ankr LST vulnerability drained ~$410K on Flow EVM, affecting More Markets.
  • 2021 attack event, Numen Cyber Labs published an analysis of an earlier Ankr attack.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 11

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free 70+ chain RPC; credit-based paid plans
  • Ease of use. No usability evidence found
  • Feature depth: 4/5. RPC, Advanced APIs, liquid staking, 70+ chains
  • Support quality: 2/5. Scam allegations cite unresolved staking problems
  • Security posture: 2/5. Exploits in 2021, 2022, 2026 despite SOC 2
  • 3.4/5 RFP.wiki score vs Axelar's 3.1
  • Yes Free tier Public RPC for 70+ chains
  • 70+ Chains supported via free public RPC endpoints
  • 51% Glassdoor approval ANKR Inc. employees

Pricing

Free RPC

$0

  • Public endpoints
  • 70+ chains
  • Shared public access

Pay-as-you-go

Credit-based

  • Advanced APIs
  • Premium RPC
  • Usage credits

Security

History of exploits (2021, 2022, 2026) now sits alongside SOC 2 Type II certification.

  • Dec 2022 token minting exploitAttack minted 6 quadrillion ANKR tokens; ~$20M drained across Ankr and Helio; Forbes reported it looked like an inside job.⁵
  • Malicious code by ex-team memberAnkr said a former team member placed malicious code enabling BNBC token exploits.⁸
  • 2026 Flow EVM staking exploitAnkr LST vulnerability drained ~$410K on Flow EVM, affecting More Markets.⁷
  • 2021 attack eventNumen Cyber Labs published an analysis of an earlier Ankr attack.

What users say

Developer commentary credits its breadth and decentralized network, but some staking users report lost funds and level scam allegations.

“ANKR IS A SCAM”
Reddit, r/Ankrofficial
“I'm more risk averse now”
Reddit, r/Ankrofficial

Companies that use it

  • Kaia
  • BNB Chain
  • Story
Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources; several review and security snippets were truncated at the source.

Solid free multi-chain RPC for Web3 devs, but the staking side carries real exploit history. Compare Alchemy first.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources; several review and security snippets were truncated at the source.

Sources

  1. review
  2. review
  3. review
  4. review
  5. news
  6. news
  7. news
  8. news
  9. official
  10. official
  11. official

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