Blockchain Explorers: How to Investigate Your Own Transactions

You bridged ETH to Arbitrum 10 minutes ago. Where is it?

You check your wallet. Nothing.

Did the transaction fail? Did you lose your money? How do you find out?

Enter: Blockchain explorers — the Google for blockchains.

What a Blockchain Explorer Is

A blockchain explorer is a website that lets you search and view all transactions on a blockchain.

Think of it as:

Google for blockchain data
Bank statement but for everyone, publicly
Package tracking for crypto transactions

Every blockchain has explorers:

Blockchain	Explorer
Ethereum	Etherscan.io
Arbitrum	Arbiscan.io
Optimism	Optimistic.Etherscan.io
Base	Basescan.org
Polygon	Polygonscan.com
zkSync Era	Explorer.zksync.io
Bitcoin	Blockchain.com

All blockchain data is public and permanent. Anyone can view any transaction ever made.

What You Can Search For

1. Wallet Address

Search for: 0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb

See:

All transactions sent/received
Current token balances
Transaction history (newest to oldest)
Total ETH/token value

Use case:

Check your own balance
Verify you received payment
Investigate a suspicious address

2. Transaction Hash (Tx Hash)

Search for: 0xabc123... (64 character hex string)

See:

Sender and receiver
Amount transferred
Gas fee paid
Status (success or failed)
Block number and timestamp
Internal transactions

Use case:

Check if transaction succeeded
Find exact timestamp for taxes
Debug failed transactions

3. Smart Contract Address

Search for: 0x8315177aB297bA92A06054dE0bF30a3b0676Cf79 (Arbitrum Bridge)

See:

Contract code (if verified)
All transactions interacting with contract
Token held by contract
Contract creator

Use case:

Verify you're interacting with the right contract
Check if contract is verified/audited
See how much value is locked in contract (TVL)

4. Block Number

Search for: Block #18500000

See:

All transactions in that block
Timestamp
Miner/validator
Gas used

Use case:

Deep blockchain research
Verify historical events

5. Token Contract

Search for: 0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48 (USDC)

See:

Total supply
Number of holders
All transfers
Token info (name, symbol, decimals)

Use case:

Research new tokens
Check legitimacy
See number of holders (low holders = risky)

How to Read a Transaction (Step-by-Step)

Let's decode a real Etherscan transaction page:

Transaction Overview

[Visual suggestion: Annotated screenshot of Etherscan transaction]

Key fields:

Transaction Hash:

0xabc123def456...

Unique ID for this transaction
Like a tracking number

Status:

✅ Success

✅ Success = Transaction executed
❌ Failed = Transaction reverted (you still paid gas)
⏳ Pending = Not yet included in a block

Block:

18,500,123

Which block included this transaction
Higher block = more recent

Timestamp:

Jan-15-2024 03:42:11 PM UTC

Critical for taxes (determines cost basis date)

From:

0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb

Sender's wallet address

To:

0x68b3465833fb72A70ecDF485E0e4C7bD8665Fc45

Receiver (could be wallet or contract)
If it's a contract (like this Uniswap Router), see "Contract" label

Value:

0.5 ETH ($1,200)

Amount of native token (ETH) sent
USD value calculated at time of transaction

Transaction Fee:

0.008 ETH ($19.20)

Gas fee paid
Tax deductible (add to cost basis)

Gas Price:

45 Gwei (0.000000045 ETH)

How much you paid per unit of gas

Token Transfers (ERC-20)

Most DeFi transactions don't send ETH — they send tokens.

Example: Swapping USDC for ETH on Uniswap

Value: 0 ETH (no ETH sent in "Value" field)

Token Transfers:

From: 0xYourWallet
To: 0xUniswapPool
Amount: 1000 USDC

From: 0xUniswapPool
To: 0xYourWallet
Amount: 0.45 ETH

This shows:

You sent 1000 USDC to Uniswap
Uniswap sent you 0.45 ETH
= You swapped 1000 USDC for 0.45 ETH

Tax treatment: Taxable swap (disposal of USDC, acquisition of ETH)

Input Data (Advanced)

Shows the function you called on a smart contract:

Example:

Function: swap(uint256 amountIn, uint256 amountOutMin, address[] path, address to, uint256 deadline)

MethodID: 0x38ed1739
[0]: 1000000000 (1000 USDC with 6 decimals)
[1]: 450000000000000000 (0.45 ETH minimum)
[2]: [0xA0b...USDC, 0xC02...WETH]
[3]: 0x742d...YourWallet
[4]: 1705334531 (deadline timestamp)

What this tells you:

Function called: swap
Amount in: 1000 USDC
Minimum amount out: 0.45 ETH
Path: USDC → WETH
Recipient: Your wallet

Use case: Verify exactly what action you took (useful for complex DeFi)

Logs (Events)

Smart contracts emit events to log what happened:

Example: Uniswap swap logs

Event: Swap(sender, amount0In, amount1In, amount0Out, amount1Out, to)
  - sender: 0xYourWallet
  - amount0In: 1000 USDC
  - amount1In: 0
  - amount0Out: 0
  - amount1Out: 0.45 ETH
  - to: 0xYourWallet

Use case: Detailed audit trail, debugging complex transactions

Internal Transactions

These are transfers triggered by smart contracts (not visible in main transaction):

Example: Bridging ETH to Arbitrum

Main transaction:

From: 0xYourWallet
To: 0xArbitrumBridge
Value: 1 ETH

Internal transaction:

From: 0xArbitrumBridge
To: 0xArbitrumInbox
Value: 1 ETH

This shows the bridge contract forwarding your ETH to the Arbitrum inbox contract.

Use case: Track where your funds actually went in complex contract interactions

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Verify a Bridge Transaction

Scenario: You bridged 1 ETH from Ethereum to Arbitrum. It's been 10 minutes. Where is it?

Step 1: Find the Ethereum transaction

Go to Etherscan.io

Search your wallet address: 0xYourAddress

Find transaction:

To: Arbitrum Bridge
Value: 1 ETH
Status: ✅ Success
Time: 12:00 PM

Step 2: Find the Arbitrum transaction

Go to Arbiscan.io

Search your wallet address: 0xYourAddress

Find transaction:

From: Arbitrum Bridge
Value: 1 ETH
Status: ✅ Success
Time: 12:10 PM

✅ Bridge completed successfully.

If you DON'T see the Arbitrum transaction:

Wait 10-15 minutes (official bridges take time)
Check you imported correct wallet in Arbitrum wallet
Verify you used official bridge (not a scam site)

Use Case 2: Debug a Failed Transaction

Scenario: You tried to swap on Uniswap. Paid $15 gas. Got nothing.

Search your transaction hash on Etherscan:

Status:

❌ Fail with error 'Insufficient output amount'

Error message:

Fail with error 'UniswapV2Router: INSUFFICIENT_OUTPUT_AMOUNT'

What happened:

Slippage tolerance too low
Price moved between when you submitted and when transaction executed
You set "max slippage 0.5%" but price moved 1%
Transaction reverted to protect you

Solution: Increase slippage tolerance to 1-2% and try again.

⚠️ You still paid gas even though it failed (validators still processed it).

Use Case 3: Check Token Legitimacy

Scenario: Someone sent you "USDC" but you're suspicious.

Check the contract address:

Real USDC: 0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48

Token you received: 0x123abc... (different)

Search on Etherscan:

Token: USD Coin (USDC) - FAKE
Total Supply: 1,000,000,000
Holders: 5

Red flags:

Only 5 holders (real USDC has millions)
Contract not verified
Different address than real USDC

Verdict: Scam token. Don't interact with it.

Use Case 4: Find Missing Transaction

Scenario: You claimed staking rewards 3 months ago. Need the transaction for taxes.

Go to Etherscan → Your Address → Filter by Method

Filter:

Method: claimRewards
Time: Last 6 months

Find transaction:

Jan 15, 2024 - Claimed 0.05 ETH rewards ($100)

Export:

Download CSV of all transactions
Give to tax software or CPA

Use Case 5: Verify Smart Contract is Safe

Scenario: About to deposit $10k into a new DeFi protocol. Is it safe?

Search contract address on Etherscan:

✅ Good signs:

✓ Contract Source Code Verified
✓ Similar code to audited protocols (Uniswap, Aave)
✓ 10,000+ transactions
✓ $5M+ total value locked
✓ No recent exploits

❌ Red flags:

✗ Contract not verified (you can't read code)
✗ Only 50 transactions
✗ Deployed 3 days ago
✗ Anonymous deployer
✗ $0 value locked

Rule: Never deposit into unverified contracts unless you're a developer who can read bytecode.

Tax Use Cases for Explorers

Finding Exact Timestamps

Why it matters:

Cost basis calculated at time of acquisition
Different date = different USD value

Example:

Received 1 ETH on Jan 15, 2024 at 3:42:11 PM UTC

ETH price at 3:42 PM: $2,123
ETH price at 3:43 PM: $2,119

Cost basis: $2,123 (use exact timestamp)

Etherscan shows exact timestamp for every transaction.

Verifying Missing Transactions

Scenario: Tax software shows you sold 2 ETH but only bought 1 ETH. Negative balance.

Likely cause: Missing a purchase transaction

Use explorer:

Search your address
Filter by "Receive" transactions
Find the missing ETH purchase
Export and import to tax software

Confirming Bridge Matches

Scenario: Moonscape (or other tax software) auto-matched your bridge. Verify it's correct.

Ethereum side:

To: Arbitrum Bridge
Value: 1 ETH
Time: Jan 15, 2024 12:00:00 PM

Arbitrum side:

From: Bridge
Value: 1 ETH
Time: Jan 15, 2024 12:10:15 PM

Match criteria:

✅ Same amount (1 ETH)
✅ Time within 30 minutes
✅ Bridge contract is official

✅ Confirmed match. Cost basis carries over.

Moonscape + Block Explorers

We integrate explorer functionality directly into the app:

Auto-Pull Transaction Data

Instead of you manually:

Going to Etherscan
Searching your address
Finding each transaction
Copying data
Entering into tax software

Moonscape does:

You import wallet address
We fetch all transactions from explorers (Etherscan API, Arbiscan API, etc.)
Auto-parse and categorize
Present in unified dashboard

Zero manual work.

One-Click Explorer Links

Every transaction has a "View on Explorer" link:

Jan 15, 2024 - Swapped 1000 USDC for 0.45 ETH
[View on Etherscan →]

One click, see full transaction details.

Missing Transaction Detection

If we detect an imbalance:

⚠️ Potential Missing Transaction
You received 1 ETH on Arbitrum at 12:10 PM, but we don't see a corresponding bridge send on Ethereum.

[Search Etherscan for bridges →]

We guide you to the explorer to find missing data.

Multi-Chain Explorer Support

We pull data from:

Etherscan (Ethereum)
Arbiscan (Arbitrum)
Basescan (Base)
Optimistic Etherscan (Optimism)
Polygonscan (Polygon)
zkSync Explorer (zkSync)

All in one unified view.

Explorer Pro Tips

1. Bookmark Your Address

Create a bookmark:

https://etherscan.io/address/0xYourAddress

Quick access to your transaction history anytime.

2. Use CSV Export for Taxes

Etherscan → Your Address → Download CSV

Contains:

All transactions
Timestamps
Amounts
Gas fees

Give to CPA or import to tax software.

3. Set Up Address Alerts (Etherscan Pro)

Get notified when:

Your address receives funds
Your address sends funds
Large transactions occur

Useful for:

Monitoring hacks
Tracking incoming payments
Security alerts

4. Check "Internal Txns" Tab

Don't just check "Transactions" tab.

Internal transactions show:

Smart contract transfers
Bridge forwarding
Refunds
Airdrops

You might miss transactions if you only check main tab.

5. Verify Contract Before Interacting

Before depositing:

Search contract on Etherscan
Verify code is verified
Check recent transactions (any exploits?)
Google contract address + "audit"

5 minutes of research can save $10,000 from scams.

Common Explorer Errors

"Unable to Locate Transaction Entry"

What it means: Transaction hasn't been mined yet

Solution: Wait 1-5 minutes and refresh

"Fail - Out of Gas"

What it means: You didn't allocate enough gas for the transaction

Solution: Increase gas limit and try again

"Reverted - Insufficient Balance"

What it means: You tried to spend more than you have

Solution: Check your balance, adjust amount

"Waiting for Confirmation"

What it means: Transaction submitted but not yet in a block

Solution: Wait (or increase gas price to speed up)

The Bottom Line

Blockchain explorers are essential tools for DeFi users:

Verify transactions: Check if your bridge/swap/transfer succeeded
Debug failures: See exact error messages
Track history: Export all transactions for taxes
Research contracts: Verify safety before depositing
Find missing data: Locate transactions tax software missed

Every DeFi user should know how to:

Search their address on Etherscan
Find a specific transaction
Read transaction status and amounts
Export transaction history

For taxes specifically:

Explorers are your audit trail
Exact timestamps matter
Missing transactions can be found
Gas fees are clearly shown

Most tax software pulls from explorer APIs (Etherscan, Arbiscan, etc.).

Moonscape does this automatically — but it's still good to understand explorers for verification and debugging.

Track Transactions Across All Explorers

Moonscape automatically pulls from:

✅ Etherscan (Ethereum)
✅ Arbiscan (Arbitrum)
✅ Basescan (Base)
✅ Optimistic Etherscan (Optimism)
✅ Polygonscan (Polygon)
✅ zkSync Explorer

One unified view. All chains.

Try Moonscape →

Built for people who'd rather track than guess.
Moonscape — your crypto, your taxes, fully decoded.

Blockchain Explorers: How to Investigate Your Own Transactions

What a Blockchain Explorer Is

What You Can Search For

1. Wallet Address

2. Transaction Hash (Tx Hash)

3. Smart Contract Address

4. Block Number

5. Token Contract

How to Read a Transaction (Step-by-Step)

Transaction Overview

Token Transfers (ERC-20)

Input Data (Advanced)

Logs (Events)

Internal Transactions

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Verify a Bridge Transaction

Use Case 2: Debug a Failed Transaction

Use Case 3: Check Token Legitimacy

Use Case 4: Find Missing Transaction

Use Case 5: Verify Smart Contract is Safe

Tax Use Cases for Explorers

Finding Exact Timestamps

Verifying Missing Transactions

Confirming Bridge Matches

Moonscape + Block Explorers

Auto-Pull Transaction Data

One-Click Explorer Links

Missing Transaction Detection

Multi-Chain Explorer Support

Explorer Pro Tips

1. Bookmark Your Address

2. Use CSV Export for Taxes

3. Set Up Address Alerts (Etherscan Pro)

4. Check "Internal Txns" Tab

5. Verify Contract Before Interacting

Common Explorer Errors

"Unable to Locate Transaction Entry"

"Fail - Out of Gas"

"Reverted - Insufficient Balance"

"Waiting for Confirmation"

The Bottom Line

Track Transactions Across All Explorers

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