What is Solscan?

SolscanSolscan is a comprehensive blockchain browser on the Solana network, and has now become the mainstream alternative to the official Solana Explorer. As a user-oriented tool, Solscan visualizes and simplifies highly complex and technical transaction and account data in the Solana blockchain through an intuitive interface design, making it easy to use and understand even for users without a technical background.

The original intention of the platform’s development was to address the pain point of the lack of high-quality blockchain browsers in the Solana ecosystem. Prior to Solscan, users faced limited tool options, incomplete functionality coverage, and difficulty in meeting the diverse needs of developers, investors, and ordinary users for on-chain data. The emergence of Solscan has filled this gap and enhanced the observability and data availability of the Solana ecosystem.

In terms of functionality, Solscan provides comprehensive tracking and insights into transaction records, block height, wallet addresses, smart contracts, token assets, and even NFTs. It even embeds real-time dashboards, supporting users to view key metrics such as DeFi protocol activities, staking data, validator node status, and is widely known as the “on-chain search engine” for Solana, further promoting ecosystem user awareness education and investment decision efficiency.

Solscan is a comprehensive blockchain browser on the Solana network (Image source: https://solscan.io/）

Solscan working principle

Solscan’s technical logic lies in submitting requests with standardized APIs, parsing on-chain raw data, and then structuring and displaying it. It relies on an efficient data query and processing architecture. When users enter search content (such as wallet addresses, transaction hashes, etc.) in Solscan, the frontend will convert these requests into machine-readable standard formats through APIs and relay the requests to the backend server for data processing.

Solscan backend servers are connected in real-time to Solana blockchain nodes. Upon receiving a request, they fetch relevant raw data on-chain, such as token information, contract interaction records, etc. Subsequently, this raw data is parsed, restructured, and tagged, transforming it into user-readable content in a standardized format. Finally, users can intuitively access the information on the frontend of the webpage in the form of charts, labels, tables, etc.

The entire process only requires users to click or enter keywords on the page to complete information retrieval and visual presentation. This one-stop, non-programming operation experience greatly reduces the user’s learning curve and enhances the data transparency and usability of the Solana network.

How blockchain browsers work (Image source: https://cryptomaniaks.com/what-is-a-block-explorer-in-crypto）

Main functions of Solscan

1. Transaction tracking feature
   The core advantage of Solscan is its powerful retrieval capability for transaction data. On the Solana blockchain, each transaction is identified by a unique set of signatures called ‘Signature,’ which is a long string consisting of letters and numbers. Users only need to copy and paste the transaction signature into the Solscan search bar to quickly view detailed information about the transaction, including but not limited to execution status, involved addresses, Gas consumption, etc.
2. Wallet and Address Monitoring
   For developers, researchers, and other users with deep needs, tracking the fund flow and operation history of specific wallet addresses is crucial. Users can enter any Solana wallet address (usually shorter than transaction signatures) in the search bar to instantly access detailed data such as the account balance, held assets, transaction history, and more. This is particularly useful for verifying project fund flows, monitoring contract deployer behavior, or identifying abnormal activities.

3. Token Information Tracking
   Solscan also supports real-time queries for token assets, displaying key information such as total token supply, number of holding addresses, and token distribution. However, to ensure accuracy, users are advised to use contract addresses provided by official websites or authoritative platforms for searching.

   
   Solscan official website homepage (Image source:https://solscan.io/）

4. DeFi Dashboard
   In the DeFi sector, Solscan provides a comprehensive dashboard for mainstream decentralized exchanges in the Solana ecosystem, including Raydium, Orca, and Sabre. Users can quickly access protocol pages through the DeFi menu on the website homepage or the dropdown options in the navigation bar to view key data such as trading pairs, TVL, and pool status, facilitating comparison and decision-making reference.
5. NFT browsing and tracking
   With the rapid development of NFT on Solana, Solscan has also integrated a powerful NFT query module. Users can enter the dedicated dashboard by clicking on the ‘NFT’ tab in the navigation bar, search for specific NFT projects, and view their metadata, transaction history, rarity distribution, and current market performance, which is of significant value to NFT collectors and project observers.

Solscan usage advantages

First, Solscan is open to all users without any fees, even without registering an account, users can directly query transactions. For users with higher customization needs, the platform also supports quickly creating personal accounts to unlock more personalized features and view settings.

In terms of interface design, Solscan continues the layout style similar to the well-known Ethereum browser Etherscan, providing an information-dense and orderly homepage structure. Users can quickly understand the network status and price trends of SOL, and these intuitive operational experiences significantly reduce the usage threshold, especially in the data exploration of the NFT sector. Users can easily access different modules through the navigation bar, providing an excellent experience.

The visual presentation of transaction tracking is also a major highlight of Solscan. In cases of uncertain transaction status and transaction delays, it can still clearly show the on-chain execution path, effectively eliminating the confusion for novice users in the blockchain interaction process. In addition, Solscan integrates multiple highly practical dashboards, such as the fund tracking panel designed specifically for DeFi applications, providing a comprehensive insight into the internal operations and project status of the ecosystem.

Solscan DeFi tracking panel (Image source:https://solscan.io/amm/jupiter)

Solscan alternative

In the Solana blockchain ecosystem, in addition to the widely used Solscan browser, users can also choose other blockchain browsers with different functions to meet various query and analysis needs. Here are several main alternatives to Solscan:

Firstly, Solana Explorer is the official blockchain explorer, offering basic and stable data query capabilities. Users can retrieve transaction records, network accounts, token information, and check the execution status of specific blocks or programs through this platform. Additionally, it provides real-time core network metrics, such as transaction throughput, block height, and the current number of validators. However, compared to the more feature-rich Solscan, the official explorer lacks dedicated dashboards for DeFi protocols and NFT projects, and its information display is relatively simple, making it more suitable for viewing basic on-chain data.

Official Solana network browser (Image source:https://explorer.solana.com/）

In addition, the OKLink Solana Explorer is a browser product launched by the OKX ecosystem, with a high degree of functionality integration. In addition to basic transaction information and token information queries, the platform also supports address label management and behavior monitoring, allowing users to customize tracking of specific address activities, enhancing their ability to grasp the flow of on-chain funds. At the same time, the browser provides a rich set of API interfaces for developers to call and integrate on-chain data resources. In terms of user experience, OKLink also provides practical tools such as token authorization management, enhancing the convenience and security of on-chain operations.

OKLink Solana Explorer page in use (Image source:https://www.oklink.com/sol）

Conclusion

Solscan complements the deficiencies of the official Solana browser in terms of functionality, and the user experience is continuously evolving towards user-friendliness and diversification of scenarios. It is an important bridge connecting ordinary users and the on-chain world, and with its multi-dimensional functions and open design, it has become one of the most representative infrastructures in the Solana ecosystem. Faced with the growing demand for on-chain data analysis, in the future, Solscan is expected to continuously expand its boundaries by deep integration with DeFi, NFT, staking, and verification sectors, providing users with more intelligent and comprehensive on-chain analytical capabilities. For users who wish to deepen their understanding of the Solana ecosystem and enhance their on-chain analysis capabilities, the Solscan platform is undoubtedly the most trustworthy entrance.