diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 74e2aa0b..8dac33ee 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,49 @@ impl EthersProvider {
             Self::Ws(provider) => provider.request(method, params).await,
         }
     }
+
+    pub async fn new_heads(&self, url: String, blocks: Arc<BlockMap>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        // TODO: automatically reconnect
+        match &self {
+            EthersProvider::Http(provider) => {
+                let mut stream = provider.watch_blocks().await?;
+                while let Some(block_number) = stream.next().await {
+                    let block = provider.get_block(block_number).await?.unwrap();
+
+                    println!(
+                        "{:?} = {} Ts: {:?}, block number: {}",
+                        block.hash.unwrap(),
+                        url,
+                        block.timestamp,
+                        block.number.unwrap(),
+                    );
+
+                    let mut blocks = blocks.write().await;
+
+                    blocks.insert(url.clone(), block);
+                }
+            }
+            EthersProvider::Ws(provider) => {
+                let mut stream = provider.subscribe_blocks().await?;
+                while let Some(block) = stream.next().await {
+                    // TODO: save the block into a dashmap on
+                    println!(
+                        "{:?} = {} Ts: {:?}, block number: {}",
+                        block.hash.unwrap(),
+                        url,
+                        block.timestamp,
+                        block.number.unwrap(),
+                    );
+
+                    let mut blocks = blocks.write().await;
+
+                    blocks.insert(url.clone(), block);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
 
 struct EthersConnection {
@@ -66,13 +109,13 @@ struct EthersConnection {
 
 impl EthersConnection {
     async fn try_new(
-        url_str: &str,
+        url_str: String,
         http_client: Option<reqwest::Client>,
         blocks: Arc<BlockMap>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<EthersConnection> {
         // TODO: create an ethers-rs rpc client and subscribe/watch new heads in a spawned task
         let provider = if url_str.starts_with("http") {
-            let url: url::Url = url_str.try_into()?;
+            let url: url::Url = url_str.parse()?;
 
             let http_client = http_client.ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("no http_client"))?;
 
@@ -83,7 +126,7 @@ impl EthersConnection {
                 .interval(Duration::from_secs(1))
                 .into()
         } else if url_str.starts_with("ws") {
-            let provider = ethers::providers::Ws::connect(url_str.to_string()).await?;
+            let provider = ethers::providers::Ws::connect(url_str.clone()).await?;
 
             // TODO: make sure this survives disconnects
 
@@ -95,44 +138,16 @@ impl EthersConnection {
             return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("only http and ws servers are supported"));
         };
 
-        match &provider {
-            EthersProvider::Http(provider) => {
-                let mut stream = provider.watch_blocks().await?.take(3);
-                while let Some(block_number) = stream.next().await {
-                    let block = provider.get_block(block_number).await?.unwrap();
+        let provider = Arc::new(provider);
 
-                    println!(
-                        "{:?} = Ts: {:?}, block number: {}",
-                        block.hash.unwrap(),
-                        block.timestamp,
-                        block.number.unwrap(),
-                    );
-
-                    let mut blocks = blocks.write().await;
-
-                    blocks.insert(url_str.to_string(), block);
-                }
-            }
-            EthersProvider::Ws(provider) => {
-                let mut stream = provider.subscribe_blocks().await?;
-                while let Some(block) = stream.next().await {
-                    // TODO: save the block into a dashmap on
-                    println!(
-                        "{:?} = Ts: {:?}, block number: {}",
-                        block.hash.unwrap(),
-                        block.timestamp,
-                        block.number.unwrap(),
-                    );
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        // TODO: subscribe to new_heads
-        // TODO: if http, maybe we should check them all on the same interval. and if there is at least one websocket, use them for the interval
+        // subscribe to new heads in a spawned future
+        // TODO: if http, maybe we should check them all on the same interval. and if there is at least one websocket, use that message to start check?
+        let provider_clone: Arc<EthersProvider> = Arc::clone(&provider);
+        tokio::spawn(async move { provider_clone.new_heads(url_str, blocks).await });
 
         Ok(EthersConnection {
             active_requests: 0,
-            provider: Arc::new(provider),
+            provider,
         })
     }
 
@@ -195,7 +210,8 @@ impl RpcTier {
             rpcs.push(s.to_string());
 
             let connection =
-                EthersConnection::try_new(s, http_client.clone(), blocks.clone()).await?;
+                EthersConnection::try_new(s.to_string(), http_client.clone(), blocks.clone())
+                    .await?;
 
             connections.insert(s.to_string(), connection);