Etherscan
What Is Etherscan
Etherscan is a blockchain explorer that lets users track and explore detailed data and information stored on the Ethereum network. It functions like a search engine for Ethereum, providing insights into transactions, wallet balances, smart contracts, and other blockchain-related activities.
Launched in 2015, Etherscan was developed to offer a user-friendly interface for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. Every transaction made on the Ethereum network is recorded on the blockchain, and Etherscan serves as a platform to view these transactions in real time. By entering a transaction hash, users can access all the details of a particular transaction, such as the sending and receiving addresses, the amount of Ether or tokens transferred, the gas fee paid, and the transaction status.
Beyond individual transactions, Etherscan provides detailed information about Ethereum blocks. The Ethereum blockchain is made up of blocks, each containing multiple transactions. By entering a block number on Etherscan, users can see the block's contents, including its transactions, the time it was validated, who the validator is, and the block reward. This helps users understand transaction flows and the health of the Ethereum network.
Etherscan also lets users view the source code of smart contracts, verify their deployment, and interact with them directly from the website. This feature is valuable for developers and users who want to audit contracts for security and functionality or interact with decentralized applications (dApps) running on these contracts.