Providing blockTag only works for recent blocks

[bbarton]

Describe the bug

I'm trying to query the owner of an ERC721 at a specific time: contract.ownerOf(0, {blockTag : blockHeight}).catch((err) => {});

This returns the owner address if I use a recent blockHeight (within the last 12-24 hours), but if I make the same query a day later, it returns undefined until I provide a more recent blockHeight. This means I effectively can't query the historic owner of an ERC721.

For example:

// This works (use the most recent Rinkeby blockheight, not the value I provided):
const owner = await contract.ownerOf(3681, {blockTag : 8619048}).catch((err) => {});

// Now, try a blockHeight 500 blocks before. (This token has existed for weeks.). This returns undefined.
const owner = await contract.ownerOf(3681, {blockTag : 8618548}).catch((err) => {});

Reproduction steps

Run this: (be sure to have provider set).

async function test(tokenId=3681, blockHeight=8619048) {
  const contractABI = [{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"internalType":"address","name":"owner","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"internalType":"address","name":"approved","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Approval","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"internalType":"address","name":"owner","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"internalType":"address","name":"operator","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"bool","name":"approved","type":"bool"}],"name":"ApprovalForAll","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"artistSecondPercentage","type":"uint256"}],"name":"ArtistSecondSalePercentUpdated","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"bidAmount","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"address","name":"bidder","type":"address"}],"name":"BidProposed","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"BidWithdrawn","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"price","type":"uint256"}],"name":"BuyPriceSet","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"priorityTip","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"int256","name":"numRemainingUpdates","type":"int256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256[]","name":"leverIds","type":"uint256[]"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"int256[]","name":"previousValues","type":"int256[]"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"int256[]","name":"updatedValues","type":"int256[]"}],"name":"ControlLeverUpdated","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"layerCount","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"address","name":"creator","type":"address"}],"name":"CreatorWhitelisted","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"address","name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"address","name":"permissioned","type":"address"}],"name":"PermissionUpdated","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"address","name":"platformAddress","type":"address"}],"name":"PlatformAddressUpdated","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"platformFirstPercentage","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"platformSecondPercentage","type":"uint256"}],"name":"PlatformSalePercentageUpdated","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"uint256","name":"salePrice","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"internalType":"address","name":"buyer","type":"address"}],"name":"TokenSale","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"internalType":"address","name":"from","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"internalType":"address","name":"to","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Transfer","type":"event"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"internalType":"uint256","name":"minAcceptedAmount","type":"uint256"}],"name":"acceptBid","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"address","name":"to","type":"address"},{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"approve","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"artistSecondSalePercentage","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"address","name":"owner","type":"address"}],"name":"balanceOf","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"bid","outputs":[],"payable":true,"stateMutability":"payable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"name":"buyPrices","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"name":"controlTokenMapping","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"numControlLevers","type":"uint256"},{"internalType":"int256","name":"numRemainingUpdates","type":"int256"},{"internalType":"bool","name":"exists","type":"bool"},{"internalType":"bool","name":"isSetup","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"name":"creatorWhitelist","outputs":[{"internalType":"address","name":"creator","type":"address"},{"internalType":"uint256","name":"layerCount","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"expectedTokenSupply","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"address","name":"","type":"address"}],"name":"failedTransferCredits","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"getApproved","outputs":[{"internalType":"address","name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"controlTokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"getControlToken","outputs":[{"internalType":"int256[]","name":"","type":"int256[]"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"controlTokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"getNumRemainingControlUpdates","outputs":[{"internalType":"int256","name":"","type":"int256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"internalType":"address","name":"permissioned","type":"address"}],"name":"grantControlPermission","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"string","name":"name","type":"string"},{"internalType":"string","name":"symbol","type":"string"}],"name":"initialize","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[],"name":"initialize","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"string","name":"name","type":"string"},{"internalType":"string","name":"symbol","type":"string"},{"internalType":"uint256","name":"initialExpectedTokenSupply","type":"uint256"},{"internalType":"address","name":"_upgraderAddress","type":"address"}],"name":"initialize","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"internalType":"address","name":"owner","type":"address"},{"internalType":"address","name":"operator","type":"address"}],"name":"isApprovedForAll","outputs":[{"internalType":"bool","name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"}],"name":"lockTokenURI","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"tokenId","type":"uint256"},{"internalType":"uint256","name":"amount","type":"uint256"}],"name":"makeBuyPrice","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"minBidIncreasePercent","outputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"masterTokenId","type":"uint256"},{"internalType":"string","name":"artworkTokenURI","type":"string"},{"internalType":"address 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payable","name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"_artistSecondSalePercentage","type":"uint256"}],"name":"updateArtistSecondSalePercentage","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"uint256","name":"_minBidIncreasePercent","type":"uint256"}],"name":"updateMinimumBidIncreasePercent","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"internalType":"address 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  const contract = new ethers.Contract("0x4f37310372dd39d451f7022ee587fa8b9f72d80b", contractABI, provider);
  const owner = await contract.ownerOf(tokenId, {blockTag: blockHeight}).catch((err) => {});
  console.log("owner:", owner);
  return owner;
}

Environment:

Rinkeby, althought his appears to occur in production as well.

Using Infura provider.

[ricmoo]

This is based on the backend you are using. If you are using the default provider, you are using a collection of backends and will only get the range available by the lowest common denominator (based on the quorum).

If you are using INFURA (for example), you must sign up (and pay) for access to their archive node.

The data requirements (both capacity and speed) for an archive node are tremendous, which is why most services that provide them require additional usage fees. You can see on INFURA there is an additional cost of $250/mo for access to full archive data.

Note that other than executing code against historical sate (which is what you are doing), archive node access is not generally necessary for safe, Trustless interactions with Ethereum. So, if you are backfilling a database, you may need to only temporarily pay for the archive data to fill in your database.

[dellwatson]

I'm using web3.js and I can use random infura provider with block filter,
but using ethers.js somehow unable to use blocktag? even after i use alchemy api

[ricmoo]

@dellwatson Can you provide an example? The OP isn’t about block filters, this is about accessing archive mode state trie data.