Question from BitcoinTalk: “Someone sent me BTC but I can’t see it. How do I use a block explorer to check?”
Short answer: A block explorer shows the full life of a transaction. Enter the TXID (transaction hash) on the correct explorer (Mempool.space for Bitcoin, Etherscan for Ethereum). Check “Status” = Confirmed, “To” = your address, “Value” = correct amount. If it’s confirmed and shows your address, the crypto is in your wallet.
Anatomy of a Transaction
Every blockchain transaction has the same structure:
- Transaction Hash (TXID) — Unique identifier (like a receipt number)
- Status — Pending, Confirmed, or Failed
- Block — Which block included the transaction
- Timestamp — When it was processed
- From — The sender’s address
- To — The receiver’s address
- Value — Amount transferred
- Fee — Network fee paid by the sender
Reading a Bitcoin Transaction
On Mempool.space, a Bitcoin transaction shows:
- Inputs — Which UTXOs (unspent outputs) are being spent
- Outputs — Where the BTC is going (receiver + change back to sender)
- Fee rate — Satoshis per vbyte (higher = faster confirmation)
- Size — Transaction size in virtual bytes (larger = higher fee)
- Confirmations — How many blocks have been mined since
What to verify:
- Your address appears in one of the outputs
- The value going to your address matches the expected amount
- Status shows at least 1 confirmation
Reading an Ethereum Transaction
On Etherscan, an Ethereum transaction shows:
- Transaction Hash — Unique ID
- Status — Success or Failed
- Block — Block number (e.g., 20,123,456)
- From/To — Sender and receiver
- Value — ETH amount (in ETH or Wei)
- Gas Used — Actual gas consumed (usually 21,000 for simple transfers)
- Gas Price — Price paid per unit of gas (in Gwei)
- Transaction Fee — Gas Used × Gas Price
For ERC-20 token transfers: Check the “Token Transfer” tab — ERC-20 transfers don’t show in the main ETH value field.
Common Fields on Any Explorer
| Field | What It Means | Why Check It |
|---|---|---|
| TXID / Hash | Transaction ID | Bookmark for tracking |
| Status / Result | Success / Pending / Failed | Did the transaction go through? |
| Block | Block number that included this tx | How many confirmations? |
| From | Sender’s address | Is this the expected sender? |
| To | Receiver’s address | Is this your address? |
| Value | Amount transferred | Is the amount correct? |
| Fee | Network fee | Did the sender pay enough? |
| Token Transfer | Token details | For USDC, USDT, other tokens |
Using Explorers for Each Blockchain
| Blockchain | Best Explorer | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | Mempool.space | Fee rate, confirmation count |
| Ethereum | Etherscan.io | Gas used, token transfers |
| Solana | Solscan.io | Transaction status, account changes |
| Polygon | Polygonscan.com | Similar to Etherscan |
| BNB Chain | Bscscan.com | Similar to Etherscan |
| Arbitrum | Arbiscan.io | L1 and L2 fees |
| Optimism | Optimistic.etherscan.io | L1 and L2 fees |
How to Verify a Payment
- Get the TXID from the sender
- Go to the correct explorer for that blockchain
- Paste the TXID in the search bar
- Check: STATUS = Confirmed
- Check: TO = your address (exact match)
- Check: VALUE = correct amount
- Check: CONFIRMATIONS = at least 1 (wait for 6 for high-value)
Red Flags
- Unconfirmed for hours — Check mempool congestion
- Status = Failed — Internal error, transaction didn’t process
- Wrong TO address — Confirm the address character by character
- Token transfer tab is empty — For ERC-20 tokens, check the tab specifically
Verdict
A block explorer is the most important verification tool in crypto. If you can read a transaction on the explorer, you never need to trust someone’s word that they sent payment. Always verify the TO address, the value, and the confirmation status.
Related: How to Check Transaction Status | How to Use a Blockchain Explorer | What to Do if Sent to Wrong Address