Block Explorer
What Is a Block Explorer?
A block explorer is essentially a search engine for the blockchain. Think of it like Google, but instead of indexing websites, it indexes every single transaction, wallet balance, and block ever created on a network. It turns the raw, messy data of the blockchain into a readable format that anyone can browse to see exactly where money is moving in real-time.
The most common use case for a block explorer is to check the status of a transaction. That small moment of panic when a transfer takes longer than expected is usually what sends people there. If you have ever sent crypto to another address and it did not arrive on time, you probably went to a block explorer to see if the transaction failed, and if not, how many confirmations does it have.
When you initiate a transaction, it first enters the mempool. After being picked up by a validator or a miner, it gets included in a block. Every block added after yours adds more confirmations to the transaction. More confirmations equals more certainty.
Beyond simple tracking, block explorers serve as a comprehensive analytics tool. They provide insights into network health, such as hash rates, validator activity, and pending transactions waiting in the "mempool."
Each blockchain has its own dedicated explorer, such as Etherscan for Ethereum or Solscan for Solana, ensuring that all onchain activity remains permanent and verifiable by any participant without needing to trust a central authority.
On KAST, you can use a block explorer to check on card top-ups by pasting your transaction hash into the explorer and seeing exactly when your crypto moves through the network and becomes ready to spend. It's fully transparent.
In order to do that, open the KAST App, click accounts, transactions, and select the one you want to track. If you do that, your TXID will appear under Public Transaction ID. Tapping the external open next to it will open it in the appropriate block explorer.
How to Read a Transaction on a Block Explorer
When you paste a transaction hash into a block explorer, you’ll see several key details:
- Transaction Status: Shows whether the transaction is pending, confirmed, or failed.
- Block Number: The specific block where your transaction was included.
- Confirmations: The number of blocks added after yours. More confirmations mean greater finality.
- From and To Addresses: The sending and receiving wallet addresses.
- Transaction Fee: The fee paid to process the transaction on the network.
- Timestamp: The exact time the transaction was confirmed onchain.
If your top-up is still pending, it may simply be waiting to be included in a block. Once confirmed, you can see the exact moment it became part of the blockchain.
A surefire way to see if the transaction was successful is to check if the number of confirmations is going up. If so, your funds are on their way.
Block explorers can also help you understand why a transaction failed. If a transaction fails, the error message in a block explorer provides clues as to what went wrong and how to fix it.
Finally, you can use a block explorer to confirm that you paid someone. The transaction hash is proof that the funds went through, so the recipient does not need to take your word for it.
