Reading a block explorer without panic
A block explorer is a public web page for a ledger. You paste a transaction hash or an address, and it shows what the chain recorded. The pages look busy at first, but a few fields carry most of the meaning.
The fields
- Hash. The identifier of the transaction. Copy it, do not retype it.
- Status. Success, failed or pending. A failed transaction did not do what was intended, but it can still cost a fee.
- Block or time. When the network included it. Pending usually means it has not been included yet.
- From and to. The sending and receiving addresses, sometimes with a label if the explorer knows them.
- Value and fee. What moved, and what was paid to the network for moving it.
- Confirmations or finality. How deeply the transaction is buried. Different networks use different words for this, so read that chain's own documentation.
The order I check them
Status first, because it decides whether anything else matters. Then the destination address, then amount and fee, then the time. That is it. Most of my confusion in the past came from reading the screen top to bottom while a number in the corner was the only thing that mattered.
One habit about addresses
Comparing only the first and last few characters of an address is common, and it is not enough on its own. Addresses that look similar at both ends can be created on purpose. Use copy and paste from a source you trust, and compare the whole string when the amount is not small.
This is a note about reading data. It is not advice about what to buy, sell or hold.