Blockscout¶

Overview¶

Blockscout is an open-source blockchain explorer designed specifically for Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains. Developed by the POA Network team, Blockscout provides a fully open-source, self-deployable block explorer solution, enabling project teams and enterprises to build customized explorers for their own blockchain networks.

Unlike centralized explorers such as Etherscan, Blockscout emphasizes decentralization and open-source principles. Anyone can download, deploy, and customize Blockscout, making it the preferred explorer solution for Layer 2s, sidechains, enterprise chains, and emerging public chains. Currently, hundreds of blockchain projects have adopted Blockscout as their official or primary explorer.

Core Features¶

Open Source and Self-Deployable¶

Blockscout's greatest feature is being fully open source: - MIT License: Free to use, modify, and distribute - Self-Deployment: Project teams can deploy the explorer on their own servers - Customizable: Can modify the interface, add features, integrate proprietary services - No Third-Party Dependencies: Full control over data and services, no reliance on external platforms

This is critical for projects that value decentralization, privacy, or require custom functionality.

Complete Explorer Features¶

Blockscout provides all standard block explorer functionality: - Transaction Queries: Transaction details, status, internal transactions, event logs - Block Queries: Block information, transaction lists, validators/miners - Address Queries: Balances, transaction history, token holdings, contract code - Token Tracking: ERC20, ERC721, ERC1155 token transfers and holders - Smart Contracts: Contract code viewing, verification, interaction interface - Search: Search by address, transaction hash, block number, or token name

Smart Contract Verification¶

Supports multiple contract verification methods: - Standard Verification: Upload source code and compilation parameters for verification - JSON Verification: Using Solidity standard JSON input - Multi-File Verification: Supports importing multiple Solidity files - Vyper Support: Supports contracts written in Vyper - Proxy Contracts: Automatic detection and verification of proxy contract patterns

Multi-Chain Support¶

Blockscout has been deployed on 100+ blockchains: - Layer 2: Optimism, Arbitrum, Base, Scroll, Linea, and more - Sidechains: Gnosis Chain, Polygon, POA Network - Enterprise Chains: Many private and consortium chains - Emerging Public Chains: Various EVM-compatible new public chains

Each chain can run an independent Blockscout instance or share infrastructure.

API Services¶

Blockscout provides Etherscan-compatible APIs: - Etherscan API Compatible: Most Etherscan API endpoints are compatible, facilitating migration - GraphQL API: More flexible data query interface - WebSocket: Real-time data push - RPC Proxy: Can serve as an Ethereum RPC proxy

API compatibility means tools using Etherscan API can easily switch to Blockscout.

Advanced Features¶

Real-Time Updates: Uses WebSocket for real-time data updates without page refresh
DApp Integration: Can be embedded in DApps as a transaction query component
Market Data: Integrated token price and market data (optional)
Verification Badges: Adds verification badges for well-known projects
Multi-Language Support: Supports multi-language interfaces

Project Highlights¶

Open Source and Transparent: Fully open source, code hosted on GitHub, anyone can review the code, contribute improvements, or report issues. Community-driven development ensures continuous innovation.

Decentralized: Does not rely on a single centralized provider, aligning with Web3's decentralization principles. Project teams can operate independently without third-party restrictions.

Flexibility: Highly customizable, can modify functionality, interface, and data presentation according to specific needs. Supports integration of custom services and data sources.

Privacy Protection: Self-deployed Blockscout does not send user query data to third parties, protecting user privacy.

Cost Effectiveness: Although self-deployment and maintenance are required, it is more economical in the long run compared to commercial explorer services, especially for high-traffic scenarios.

Community Support: Active developer community, timely issue response, rich documentation and tutorials.

Compatibility: API compatible with Etherscan, reducing migration costs. Developers can switch without modifying code.

Scalability: Supports horizontal scaling, can be deployed on cloud services to handle large-scale traffic.

Technical Architecture¶

Blockscout uses a modern technology stack: - Backend: Elixir/Phoenix framework, high concurrency, strong fault tolerance - Database: PostgreSQL, reliable relational database - Frontend: Modern JavaScript framework, responsive design - Indexer: Efficient blockchain data indexing service - Cache: Supports Redis and other cache layers for performance improvement

The modular design allows each component to be independently scaled and optimized.

Use Cases¶

Layer 2 Projects: Provide an official explorer for new L2 networks (e.g., early versions of Optimism, Base).

Sidechains and App Chains: Provide customized explorers for application-specific chains.

Enterprise and Consortium Chains: Private chains need internal explorer tools and are unsuitable for public services.

Test Networks: Provide explorers for development testnets to help developers debug.

Community-Driven Projects: Projects emphasizing decentralization that do not want to depend on centralized explorer services.

Customization Needs: Projects requiring special features or integrations, such as specific data displays or custom analytics tools.

Education and Research: Set up local blockchains and explorers for teaching and experimentation.

History¶

2017-2018: The POA Network team began developing Blockscout as the official explorer for POA Network.

2019: Blockscout went open source and began being adopted by other projects, gradually becoming the preferred open-source explorer solution.

2020-2021: With the rise of Layer 2s and sidechains, an increasing number of projects adopted Blockscout. The community continuously contributed new features.

2022: Supported dozens of mainstream chains, becoming the most popular open-source explorer in the EVM ecosystem. Launched hosted service options.

2023: Continued optimizing performance and user experience, adding new features such as advanced analytics tools. Supports 100+ blockchains.

2024-Present: As the benchmark for open-source explorers, Blockscout continues to develop, providing solutions for more blockchain projects.

Official Website: https://www.blockscout.com
GitHub: https://github.com/blockscout/blockscout
Documentation: https://docs.blockscout.com
Gnosis Chain Instance: https://blockscout.com/xdai/mainnet
POA Network Instance: https://blockscout.com/poa/core
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/blockscout
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blockscoutcom