btc-rpc-explorer/README.md

# BTC Explorer

Simple, database-free Bitcoin blockchain explorer, via RPC. Built with Node.js, express, bootstrap-v4.

This tool is intended to be a simple, self-hosted explorer for the Bitcoin blockchain, driven by RPC calls to your own bitcoind node. This tool is easy to run but lacks features compared to full-fledged (stateful) explorers.

I built this tool because I wanted to use it myself. Whatever reasons one might have for running a full node (trustlessness, technical curiosity, etc) it's helpful to appreciate the "fullness" of a node. With this explorer, one can not only explore the blockchain (in the traditional sense of the term "explorer"), but also explore the capabilities of one's own node.

A live demo of the tool is available at https://btc-explorer.com

# Features

* List of recent blocks
* Browse blocks by height, in ascending or descending order
* View block details
* View transaction details, with navigation "backward" via spent transaction outputs
* View raw JSON output used to generate most pages
* Search to directly navigate to transactions or blocks
* Mempool summary, showing unconfirmed transaction counts by fee level
* RPC Browser to explore all of the RPC commands available from your node
* RPC Terminal to send commands to your node
* Currently supports BTC, LTC. Support for any Bitcoin-RPC-protocol-compliant coin can be added easily.

# Getting started

The below instructions are geared toward BTC, but can be adapted easily to other coins.

## Prerequisites

1. Install and run a full, archiving node - [instructions](https://bitcoin.org/en/full-node). Ensure that your node has full transaction indexing enabled (`txindex=1`) and the RPC server enabled (`server=1`).
2. Synchronize your node with the Bitcoin network.

## Instructions

1. Clone this repo
2. `npm install` to install all required dependencies
3. Optional: Uncomment the "bitcoind" section in [env.js](app/env.js) to automatically connect to the target node.
4. Optional: Change the "coin" value in [env.js](app/env.js). Currently supported values are "BTC" and "LTC".
5. `npm start` to start the local server
6. Navigate to http://127.0.0.1:3002/
7. Connect using the RPC credentials for your target bitcoin node (if you didn't edit [env.js](app/env.js) in Step 3)

# Screenshots

<table>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Connect via RPC</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/connect.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Homepage (list of recent blocks)</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/home.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Node Details</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/node-details.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Browse Blocks</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/blocks.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Block Details</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/block.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Mempool Summary</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/mempool-summary.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Transaction Details</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/transaction.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>Transaction, Raw JSON</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/transaction-raw.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
    <td valign="top">
      <h4>RPC Browser</h4>
      <hr/>
      <img src="public/img/screenshots/rpc-browser.png" style="margin-right:5px; border: 1px solid #ccc;" />
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

# Donate

To support continued development of this tool and/or to support the hosting of the live demo site:

* [Bitcoin](bitcoin:3NPGpNyLLmVKCEcuipBs7G4KpQJoJXjDGe): 3NPGpNyLLmVKCEcuipBs7G4KpQJoJXjDGe
* [Litecoin](litecoin:ME4pXiXuWfEi1ANBDo9irUJVcZBhsTx14i): ME4pXiXuWfEi1ANBDo9irUJVcZBhsTx14i