Question from BitcoinTalk: “I sent crypto an hour ago and it’s not showing up. How do I check if it went through?”
Short answer: Use a blockchain explorer to look up your transaction by its hash (TXID). Every blockchain has a public explorer where you can see exactly what happened to your transaction.
What Is a Blockchain Explorer?
A blockchain explorer is a website that lets you search and view all transactions on a blockchain. Think of it as Google for the blockchain — you can search any address, transaction hash, or block.
Explorers by blockchain:
- Bitcoin: Mempool.space, Blockchain.com
- Ethereum: Etherscan.io
- Solana: Solscan.io
- Polygon: Polygonscan.com
- Litecoin: Litecoin.space
- All chains: Blockchair.com (aggregator)
How to Find Your Transaction
- Get the TXID (Transaction Hash) — From the exchange or wallet where you sent the crypto. It looks like a long string of letters and numbers.
- Go to the correct explorer — Use the explorer for the blockchain you sent on
- Paste the TXID — You’ll see the full transaction details
The TXID is the single most important piece of information you can save when sending crypto. It is a unique fingerprint of your transaction that any explorer can use to pull up its full history — the sending address, the receiving address, the amount, the fee paid, and the block in which it was confirmed. Exchanges always provide it in the transaction history or the immediate confirmation screen when you send funds. If you are sending from a self-custody wallet, the wallet itself will display the TXID once the transaction is broadcast. Make a habit of copying it to a note before you even close the wallet, because a transaction you cannot reference is a transaction you cannot troubleshoot — support staff at exchanges and blockchains will ask for the TXID before they can help you with anything, and having it on hand turns a frustrating back-and-forth into a quick resolution.
What the Transaction Status Means
| Status | Meaning | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Pending / Unconfirmed | Waiting for miners/validators | Wait — may take minutes to hours |
| Confirmed | Added to a block | Transaction is final |
| Failed | Transaction didn’t process | Check error, retry with higher fee |
| Dropped / Stuck | Replaced by another tx | Wait for timeout or resend |
| Completed but not received | Wrong network or address | Check address carefully |
Stuck Transactions: What to Do
If a transaction is stuck (pending for hours or days):
Bitcoin transactions
- Check mempool congestion — Mempool.space shows how many unconfirmed transactions
- Replace-by-fee (RBF) — If enabled, you can resend with a higher fee
- CPFP (Child Pays for Parent) — Spend the unconfirmed output with a high-fee transaction
- Wait — Transactions eventually confirm or drop after ~7 days
Ethereum transactions
- Cancel or speed up — MetaMask lets you cancel or speed up pending transactions
- Resend with higher gas — Check current gas prices on Etherscan
- Wait for nonce timeout — Pending transactions expire if not picked up
Common Transaction Issues
Sent to Wrong Network
If you sent USDC on Ethereum to a Solana address, the funds are not recoverable. Always use the same network for sending and receiving.
Insufficient Gas
If you didn’t include enough gas fee, validators may ignore your transaction. Resend with a higher gas price.
Nonce Issues (Ethereum)
If you sent multiple transactions and one failed, later transactions may be stuck. Reset your wallet’s nonce or use the “clear pending” feature.
Verdict
Always get the TXID when sending crypto. Bookmark the relevant blockchain explorer. If the transaction shows “Confirmed” on the explorer, the blockchain processed it — any issue is on the receiving end.
Related: What Is Gas? Transaction Fees Explained | What to Do If You Send Crypto to Wrong Address | How to Use a Blockchain Explorer
Troubleshooting pitfalls
The most common mistake is assuming the transaction is lost when it is actually just slow. During network congestion, Bitcoin transactions can sit unconfirmed for hours before miners finally include them in a block. The urge to resend the transaction — which uses a different nonce on Ethereum and can result in a double-spend headache — usually makes things worse. Check the explorer first, confirm the status, and only then decide whether to replace-by-fee or wait.
Another frequent error is pasting the wrong TXID or using the wrong blockchain explorer. If you sent USDC on Ethereum, checking on Etherscan is correct. If you sent it on Solana, you need Solscan instead. A transaction that shows as “Confirmed” on the correct explorer is final — the blockchain has processed it and no amount of waiting or contacting support will change that. The issue at that point is between you and the receiving wallet or platform, not the network.