A block explorer is a website that shows everything happening on a particular BlockchainBlockchainA public ledger where transactions are grouped into blocks, each linked to the one before, so past records can't be altered without it showing.. You can look up a TransactionTransactionA record of crypto moving from one wallet address to another, signed with the sender's private key and stored permanently on the blockchain., a wallet address or a block and see all the information recorded about it. A block explorer works like a search engine for a public ledger.
How do you use one?
Every transaction gets its own identifier, a long string of letters and numbers called a transaction IDTransaction ID (TXID)The unique identifier of a transaction, a long string of letters and numbers that anyone can look up in a block explorer. (TXID). Paste it into a block explorer's search box and you can see:
- whether the transaction is in a block yet, and how many confirmationsConfirmationA sign that a transaction has been included in a block; each new block added on top counts as one more confirmation and makes it more secure. it has
- the amount and the network feeNetwork feeA fee paid to a crypto network, not to a bank or company, for including your transaction in a block.
- the wallet addressesWallet addressA string of letters and numbers you give out to receive crypto, much like a bank account number. that sent and received it
Each blockchain has its own explorers. For Bitcoin, mempool.space is one example, and for Ethereum, Etherscan.
Why does it matter?
A block explorer is useful when you send or receive crypto. If a transfer seems not to have arrived, you can check whether it is still waiting or already confirmed. Services often give you the transaction ID so you can check this yourself.
It also shows that blockchains are not anonymous. Names don't appear, but every transaction to and from a wallet address is public. If someone knows which address is yours, they can see its whole history.
Everything in Myntkaup Learn is written and regularly reviewed by the Myntkaup editorial team. It is for education and is not investment advice. Editorial policy. Updated 18 October 2026.