๐ How to Use Solscan Solana's Block Explorer
See exactly what happened on Solana (any wallet, transaction, or token) and check whether a token is safe before you touch it.
Solscan is a free, read-only window into the Solana blockchain at solscan.io. Think of it as a search engine for on-chain data: paste in an address and it shows you balances, history, and who owns what. It is run by the same company behind Etherscan, which bought it in January 2024. Here is how to read it, step by step.
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1Know what Solscan is (and isn't)
Solscan is a block explorer for Solana. It only reads public data โ it is not a wallet and never holds your funds.
Solscan will never ask you to connect a wallet or pay to view data. If a "Solscan" page asks for either, it's a fake.
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2Check a wallet
Copy a Solana address from your wallet (Phantom, Solflare, and others), paste it into the search bar at the top of solscan.io, and press Enter.
The account page shows the total SOL balance and tokens held at the top. Scroll down for the full transaction history, NFTs, DeFi activity, and staking accounts.
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3Check a transaction
Find the transaction signature in your wallet's activity (a long string of letters and numbers, often with a "view on explorer" link). Paste it into Solscan and press Enter.
On the Transaction Details page, look for the green Success status first. The page also lists the signature, timestamp, signer, block, fee, program logs, and the exact balance changes for everyone involved.
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4Check a token
Paste a token's contract (mint) address into the search bar. The token page shows its price, market cap, recent transfers, and how holdings are spread across wallets.
A mint address is a single token's on-chain ID. A meme coin like BONK has one; copy it from a trusted source, not a random chat link.
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5Verify the token's authorities
This is the safety check that matters most. Open the token's Authority info and confirm two things are revoked or null:
- ๐จ๏ธ Mint authority โ if active, the team can print unlimited new smart-contract supply and dilute you.
- ๐ง Freeze authority โ if active, someone can freeze your account so you can buy but never sell (a honeypot).
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6Sanity-check holders and liquidity
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7Try it on a real transaction
The fastest way to learn the layout is to look up one of your own small, real transactions and read each field. The same pages work for Ethereum on Solscan's sibling site, so the habit carries over.
This is for learning how to read the chain โ not financial advice.
โ ๏ธ Stay safe
- ๐ Type or bookmark solscan.io yourself; lookalike domains steal seed phrases.
- ๐ซ Real Solscan never asks you to connect a wallet or pay โ treat that as phishing.
- ๐ Before trusting a token, confirm both mint and freeze authority are revoked.
- ๐ช Ignore random tokens that appear in a wallet's list; don't swap unsolicited airdrop dust.
โ FAQ
- Does Solscan cost anything to use?
- No. Browsing wallets, transactions, and tokens is free. Solscan has paid plans for developers who pull data through its API, but normal viewing in your browser never costs money.
- Do I have to connect my wallet to Solscan?
- Never. Solscan is read-only and shows public on-chain data, so it does not need your wallet. Any site claiming to be Solscan that asks you to connect a wallet or pay is a phishing clone โ close it.
- What is a mint authority and why does it matter?
- The mint authority is the key that can create new units of a token. If it is still active, the team can print more supply at any time and dilute holders. On a token's page, you want to see the mint authority revoked or null.