Block Explorer
A website that lets anyone search a blockchain's transactions, addresses, and blocks in readable form.
A block explorer is a search engine for a public chain. Paste in a transaction ID and you see whether it confirmed, how much moved, and what fee it paid. Etherscan and Blockchair are common examples.
Because the data is public, explorers let you verify a payment without trusting anyone's word. They also expose wallet balances and contract code, which is why on-chain analysts live in them.
Related terms
A shared digital ledger that records transactions in linked batches, copied across many computers and hard to alter.
TransactionA signed instruction that moves value or data on a blockchain, recorded permanently once miners or validators confirm it.
AddressA short string of letters and numbers that identifies where crypto can be sent on a blockchain.
ConfirmationEach new block added on top of the one holding your transaction, deepening it and making reversal far harder.