2026-01-03 03:22:52

In the race track of cryptocurrency trading, most traders are like blindfolded runners sprinting at full speed — holding what are called "free data sources," which are actually just a severely outdated rearview mirror. You think you've seen the market’s next move clearly, but in reality, what you see is just a phantom from a few seconds ago, already outdated.

By the end of 2025, the speed of on-chain ecosystem evolution has made the word "real-time" extremely luxurious. If you're still relying on public RPC nodes with three-second delays, free candlestick chart tools, or quotes from second- and third-tier news platforms, you're quietly paying for your losses — this bill is called the "information tax," invisible but devastating.

So here’s the question: why, in an era of information explosion, are free data sources devouring traders’ assets?

**The trap of time resolution is the deadliest.** Ethereum and various Layer2 chains have compressed block confirmation times to milliseconds. Free APIs, to save server costs, inevitably aggregate and downsample data. The result? It’s like compressing a 4K movie into a low-resolution video — the broad framework remains, but all the details are wiped out. Large traders’ order placements and cancellations, subtle liquidity imbalances, every breath of the market — these are the real factors that determine your account’s direction.

And at this moment, those MEV bots using paid private nodes have already reacted. While your free viewing board still shows ETH price fluctuations, they’ve already built their sandwich attacks targeting you. What you see as "price discovery" is actually the leftovers left by predators.

**The "reliability gap" of data sources is equally brutal.** Crashes, delays, data breaks on free platforms are not accidental but the inevitable cost of bandwidth and resources. When you rely on them for critical decisions, the risk is no longer in the market but in your data pipeline. Paid node providers are responsible for service quality; but with free ones? When problems occur, it’s just bad luck on your part.

Ironically, saving a little on free data often costs you more in one or two slippage events or missed opportunities — and the loss can be multiple times greater. In this level of market, information is real money.

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StrawberryIce

· 01-06 00:55

Oh my god, really, I was just wondering why I always get cut so badly. --- Free data, this thing really is blood-sucking, I've used it. --- So, are paid nodes really necessary? Or just pure marketing? --- The part about sandwich attacks was written perfectly, it hit my pain point exactly. --- I need to think carefully about the concept of information tax. --- Don’t ask me how I know, only after losing do you understand. --- If a three-second delay can get you beaten, then someone like me using a mobile app is just a sitting target. --- Reading this article, I keep thinking, are the big players secretly happy? --- The money spent on paid nodes can't be saved, and this investment can't be avoided.

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DAOdreamer

· 01-05 22:28

Well, in the end, you still have to pay. Free services are really just gambling on luck. It's out in the open, I'm the big fool who got sandwich attacked. Delay three seconds? My free RPC has about a three-minute delay, lol. Saving that little bit of money and losing a month's salary in one slippage—this deal isn't worth it. Paid nodes are expensive, but compared to the quick loss from being exploited, it's still cheap. It hurts to see, I’ve been burned this way myself. Now I finally understand, information gap is life and death difference. Really? The big players have long been using private nodes to milk us sheep.

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WalletDetective

· 01-05 16:03

Really? Playing high-frequency with free data is like giving away money; a three-second delay is enough for you to lose a whole house. --- Still relying on free RPC? Brother, that's just handing knives to MEV bots. --- I like the term "information tax"; it feels like being cut leeks invisibly. --- So, those who save a little on data costs end up losing multiple times over on slippage. It's so true. --- Alchemy and QuickNode are not expensive; compared to a big slippage, it's worth the price. --- Free data is like opening a blind box; when it crashes, you don't even know you've been liquidated. --- I just want to know how many people are still using Infura's free quota to compete with bots. --- Time resolution is indeed critical; a millisecond difference can decide life or death. This is not a joke. --- Paid nodes are the fundamental infrastructure cost for transactions; otherwise, how can you compete with professional teams? --- The irony is that saving money leads to bigger losses. I've seen this cycle too many times.

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BlockchainFries

· 01-05 10:59

Oh my, is this the reason I keep losing money? I thought my skills were lacking. Are paid nodes really that hopeless? It feels like a new way to cut the leeks again. I should have never used that crappy free API, I've been attacked by sandwich attacks several times. Three seconds of latency is a small issue, but mainly my mentality has collapsed. The idea of an information tax is brilliant, I feel like I'm just paying this tax. So which paid data source is the most stable, everyone?

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GasBandit

· 01-03 03:53

Oh my, it's the same old story again. I would have known that free data is bad. The key issue is that I don't have money to access private nodes.

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NewDAOdreamer

· 01-03 03:52

Damn, a three-second delay is really heartbreaking. That's how I got eaten before. Bro, this article hits the nail on the head. Free data is just a hunting ground for big players. The term "information tax" is used perfectly. Reminds me of the last time I missed that wave of market movement... No, why does it have to be paid? Isn't there anyone open-sourcing a reliable one? I've been saying to upgrade nodes for a long time, but still chose the cheap option. A painful lesson. The section on MEV sandwiches is so hardcore; regular retail investors simply can't defend against it. After reading, I feel like asking for money, but on the other hand, investing is indeed necessary.

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ShibaSunglasses

· 01-03 03:49

Damn, it's the same old tragic story of free data. I've been scammed before. Three-second delay? That's already when I start making money. Now, playing at millisecond level is impossible. Paid nodes are expensive, but compared to the losses from being sandwich attacked once, it's really not a big deal. That's why big players are always big players, and we're always working for information taxes.

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Fren_Not_Food

· 01-03 03:49

Really, a three-second delay isn't trading; that's called gambling. These guys are still using free RPC? They've already been eaten by bots to the bone, haha. Information gap is money gap; it's no longer news. The moment of slippage reveals where you lost. Regarding paid nodes, either spend money or spend blood.

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InscriptionGriller

· 01-03 03:38

Basically, those who get cut deserve it—competing with robots using free data, who else are you losing to?

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MEVHunterWang

· 01-03 03:28

I am a quant trader. Free data? I gave up long ago, really just giving money to sharks. --- That's right, but we need to be realistic — most retail investors can't afford those paid nodes. --- The part about sandwich attacks was written perfectly. I got heavily sliced last week, and I'm still seeing a doctor now. --- The term "information tax" is harsh. Next time, just explain to friends why they keep losing money. --- The problem is, paid services aren't necessarily reliable either. When a major platform crashed last year, everyone was just blindly guessing. --- Reading this was a bit heartbreaking, feeling like I've been trading on broken charts for the past three years. --- But on the other hand, if even paid data can't keep up with millisecond-level market movements, retail investors probably don't stand a chance anyway. --- The part about MEV bots was so real, it's like competing in the dark against someone who can see. --- Free data with a three-second delay? Sometimes I experience ten seconds or more here, no wonder I lose. --- Slippage and missed profits together are enough to buy a year's worth of paid nodes.

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