How to look up a crypto transaction
Every crypto transaction is public. Here's how to read one.
A block explorer is a free website that shows everything on a blockchain. Paste in a transaction ID (hash) or an address and you can see whether a payment is confirmed, how much was sent, the fee and the addresses involved. Each network has its own explorers: Etherscan for Ethereum, mempool.space for Bitcoin, and Litecoin explorers for Litecoin.
Which explorer to use
| Network | Popular explorers |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin | mempool.space, blockstream.info |
| Ethereum | etherscan.io |
| Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon | Their own versions (basescan.org, arbiscan.io and so on) |
| Litecoin | litecoinspace.org, blockchair.com |
| Many networks | blockchair.com |
Use the explorer for the network the transaction was actually sent on. A transaction on Base won't show up on Etherscan's Ethereum pages.
Reading a transaction
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Transaction hash / TXID | The unique ID of the transaction |
| Status | Pending (waiting in the mempool), Success/Confirmed, or Failed |
| Block and confirmations | Which block it's in, and how many blocks have been added since |
| From / To | Sending and receiving addresses (on Ethereum, "To" may be a token contract) |
| Value | The amount sent; token transfers are listed separately |
| Fee | The network fee paid |
Handy uses
- Checking a payment arrived before telling the sender it hasn't.
- Seeing why an exchange deposit is missing (confirmed on chain? on which network?).
- Checking current fees before sending.
- Reviewing and revoking token approvals (Etherscan has an approval checker).
- Scammers send screenshots or links to fake explorer pages showing a "pending" payment that needs a fee from you to release. Real transactions never need you to pay to receive them.
- Type the explorer's address yourself rather than following a link someone sent.
- Remember that anyone can look up an address. Sharing your address shares its balance and history.
Frequently asked questions
What is Etherscan?
The most widely used block explorer for Ethereum: a website to look up Ethereum transactions, addresses, tokens and contracts.
Is my transaction confirmed?
Paste its ID into the explorer for the right network. 'Success' or a number of confirmations means it's in a block.
Can I see who owns an address?
Explorers show addresses, not names. But addresses linked to exchanges or known people are sometimes labeled, and activity can often be traced.
Where to next
Sources
Written for beginners and checked against the sources listed. Last reviewed October 26, 2026. This page is educational and is not financial, tax or legal advice. How we write and check pages.