diff --git a/ethapi/api.go b/ethapi/api.go
index 777544971..6d7ba5d7d 100644
--- a/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/ethapi/api.go
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	noUncles = []evmcore.EvmHeader{}
+	noUncles  = []evmcore.EvmHeader{}
+	startTime = time.Now()
 )
 
 // PublicEthereumAPI provides an API to access Ethereum related information.
@@ -166,6 +167,26 @@ func (s *PublicEthereumAPI) Syncing() (interface{}, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// Health returns true if node is healthy and synced
+func (s *PublicEthereumAPI) Health(blockTimeSecThreshold uint64, uptimeSecThreshold uint, peerCountThreshold uint) (interface{}, error) {
+	blockTime := time.Duration(blockTimeSecThreshold) * time.Second
+	uptimeThreshold := time.Duration(uptimeSecThreshold) * time.Second
+	uptime := time.Since(startTime)
+	progress := s.b.Progress()
+	peerCount := s.b.PeerCount()
+	log.Debug("Health check", "peerCount", peerCount, "peerCountThreshold", peerCountThreshold, "uptime", uptime, "uptimeThreshold", uptimeThreshold, "progress", progress, "currentBlockTime", time.Since(progress.CurrentBlockTime.Time()), "blockTime", blockTime)
+
+	if uptime < uptimeThreshold || progress.CurrentBlock < progress.HighestBlock || peerCount < int(peerCountThreshold) {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	if blockTime > 0 && time.Since(progress.CurrentBlockTime.Time()) > blockTime {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 // PublicTxPoolAPI offers and API for the transaction pool. It only operates on data that is non confidential.
 type PublicTxPoolAPI struct {
 	b Backend
@@ -803,10 +824,10 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) calculateExtBlockApi(ctx context.Context, blkNumbe
 }
 
 // GetBlockByNumber returns the requested canonical block.
-// * When blockNr is -1 the chain head is returned.
-// * When blockNr is -2 the pending chain head is returned.
-// * When fullTx is true all transactions in the block are returned, otherwise
-//   only the transaction hash is returned.
+//   - When blockNr is -1 the chain head is returned.
+//   - When blockNr is -2 the pending chain head is returned.
+//   - When fullTx is true all transactions in the block are returned, otherwise
+//     only the transaction hash is returned.
 func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) GetBlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, number rpc.BlockNumber, fullTx bool) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	block, err := s.b.BlockByNumber(ctx, number)
 	if block != nil && err == nil {
diff --git a/ethapi/backend.go b/ethapi/backend.go
index 214c939f0..f1971c508 100644
--- a/ethapi/backend.go
+++ b/ethapi/backend.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ type PeerProgress struct {
 type Backend interface {
 	// General Ethereum API
 	Progress() PeerProgress
+	PeerCount() int
 	SuggestGasTipCap(ctx context.Context, certainty uint64) *big.Int
 	EffectiveMinGasPrice(ctx context.Context) *big.Int
 	ChainDb() ethdb.Database
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index bdb8bf52d..ec22eeb3a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@ require (
 	gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1 v1.20.0
 )
 
-replace github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum => github.com/Fantom-foundation/go-ethereum v1.10.8-ftm-rc9
+replace github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum => github.com/faircrypto/go-ethereum v1.10.8-ftm-rc9.0.20240322234738-3d5e1d6e7883
 
 replace github.com/dvyukov/go-fuzz => github.com/guzenok/go-fuzz v0.0.0-20210103140116-f9104dfb626f
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index b9bb3a984..a9903f0cc 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ github.com/CloudyKit/jet v2.1.3-0.20180809161101-62edd43e4f88+incompatible/go.mo
 github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock v1.3.3/go.mod h1:f/Ixk793poVmq4qj/V1dPUg2JEAKC73Q5eFN3EC/SaM=
 github.com/DataDog/zstd v1.4.5 h1:EndNeuB0l9syBZhut0wns3gV1hL8zX8LIu6ZiVHWLIQ=
 github.com/DataDog/zstd v1.4.5/go.mod h1:1jcaCB/ufaK+sKp1NBhlGmpz41jOoPQ35bpF36t7BBo=
-github.com/Fantom-foundation/go-ethereum v1.10.8-ftm-rc9 h1:aB5yATSn4a2SmEr717Tq/YBWHcobLnRgAjXuLnqt420=
-github.com/Fantom-foundation/go-ethereum v1.10.8-ftm-rc9/go.mod h1:IeQDjWCNBj/QiWIPosfF6/kRC6pHPNs7W7LfBzjj+P4=
 github.com/Fantom-foundation/lachesis-base v0.0.0-20221101131534-22299068014e h1:MrNcnBTl5UOn7d1qVb+BfKx+BPZDdfQm1CUDzQkOhEg=
 github.com/Fantom-foundation/lachesis-base v0.0.0-20221101131534-22299068014e/go.mod h1:CFMonaK1v/QHwpjLszuycFDgLXNazZqZxciwhKwXDVQ=
 github.com/Joker/hpp v1.0.0/go.mod h1:8x5n+M1Hp5hC0g8okX3sR3vFQwynaX/UgSOM9MeBKzY=
@@ -164,6 +162,8 @@ github.com/envoyproxy/protoc-gen-validate v0.1.0/go.mod h1:iSmxcyjqTsJpI2R4NaDN7
 github.com/etcd-io/bbolt v1.3.3/go.mod h1:ZF2nL25h33cCyBtcyWeZ2/I3HQOfTP+0PIEvHjkjCrw=
 github.com/evalphobia/logrus_sentry v0.8.2 h1:dotxHq+YLZsT1Bb45bB5UQbfCh3gM/nFFetyN46VoDQ=
 github.com/evalphobia/logrus_sentry v0.8.2/go.mod h1:pKcp+vriitUqu9KiWj/VRFbRfFNUwz95/UkgG8a6MNc=
+github.com/faircrypto/go-ethereum v1.10.8-ftm-rc9.0.20240322234738-3d5e1d6e7883 h1:ajz2flH7mV4U4WwXAP6XKssEXL8W4i53d/a/2QLPRdc=
+github.com/faircrypto/go-ethereum v1.10.8-ftm-rc9.0.20240322234738-3d5e1d6e7883/go.mod h1:IeQDjWCNBj/QiWIPosfF6/kRC6pHPNs7W7LfBzjj+P4=
 github.com/fasthttp-contrib/websocket v0.0.0-20160511215533-1f3b11f56072/go.mod h1:duJ4Jxv5lDcvg4QuQr0oowTf7dz4/CR8NtyCooz9HL8=
 github.com/fatih/color v1.7.0 h1:DkWD4oS2D8LGGgTQ6IvwJJXSL5Vp2ffcQg58nFV38Ys=
 github.com/fatih/color v1.7.0/go.mod h1:Zm6kSWBoL9eyXnKyktHP6abPY2pDugNf5KwzbycvMj4=
diff --git a/gossip/ethapi_backend.go b/gossip/ethapi_backend.go
index f4873b71b..1d04aef90 100644
--- a/gossip/ethapi_backend.go
+++ b/gossip/ethapi_backend.go
@@ -536,3 +536,7 @@ func (b *EthAPIBackend) SealedEpochTiming(ctx context.Context) (start inter.Time
 	es := b.svc.store.GetEpochState()
 	return es.PrevEpochStart, es.EpochStart
 }
+
+func (b *EthAPIBackend) PeerCount() int {
+	return b.svc.handler.peers.Len()
+}