diff --git a/eth2near/contract_wrapper/src/near_rpc_client.rs b/eth2near/contract_wrapper/src/near_rpc_client.rs
index 6fd4f2e8..f767d879 100644
--- a/eth2near/contract_wrapper/src/near_rpc_client.rs
+++ b/eth2near/contract_wrapper/src/near_rpc_client.rs
@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ use std::error::Error;
 pub struct NearRPCClient {
     endpoint_url: String,
     client: Client,
+    api_key: String,
 }
 
 impl NearRPCClient {
-    pub fn new(endpoint_url: &str) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(endpoint_url: &str, api_key: &Option<String>) -> Self {
         Self {
             endpoint_url: endpoint_url.to_string(),
             client: reqwest::blocking::Client::new(),
+            api_key: api_key.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ impl NearRPCClient {
         let res = self
             .client
             .post(&self.endpoint_url)
+            .header("x-api-key", self.api_key.clone())
             .json(&json_value)
             .send()?
             .text()?;
@@ -50,6 +53,7 @@ impl NearRPCClient {
         let res = self
             .client
             .post(&self.endpoint_url)
+            .header("x-api-key", self.api_key.clone())
             .json(&json_value)
             .send()?
             .text()?;
diff --git a/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/config.rs b/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/config.rs
index ef6c89a2..3910f480 100644
--- a/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/config.rs
+++ b/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/config.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ impl Config {
     }
 
     fn check_account_id(&self) {
-        let near_rpc_client = NearRPCClient::new(&self.near_endpoint);
+        let near_rpc_client = NearRPCClient::new(&self.near_endpoint, &self.near_endpoint_api_key);
 
         // check `signer_account_id`
         let _signer_account_id: near_sdk::AccountId = self
diff --git a/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/eth2near_relay.rs b/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/eth2near_relay.rs
index c30f622d..ac73587b 100644
--- a/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/eth2near_relay.rs
+++ b/eth2near/eth2near-block-relay-rs/src/eth2near_relay.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ impl Eth2NearRelay {
             beacon_rpc_client,
             eth1_rpc_client: Eth1RPCClient::new(&config.eth1_endpoint),
             eth_client_contract: eth_contract,
-            near_rpc_client: NearRPCClient::new(&config.near_endpoint),
+            near_rpc_client: NearRPCClient::new(&config.near_endpoint, &config.near_endpoint_api_key),
             headers_batch_size: config.headers_batch_size as u64,
             ethereum_network: config.ethereum_network.to_string(),
             interval_between_light_client_updates_submission_in_epochs: config