Polygonscan is like a giant search engine for everything that’s happening on the Polygon blockchain. The Polygon network, formerly known as Matic Network, is a scaling solution for Ethereum. It provides faster and cheaper transactions on Ethereum improving the scalability of the Ethereum blockchain. Polygonscan allows you to monitor activities such as transactions, addresses, tokens, prices, etc on the Polygon network in real-time.

Let’s understand the key features of PolygonScan:

Key Features of PolygonScan

Transaction tracking

You can check any transaction on the Polygon network using the transaction hash (a unique code). You can find the details such as its status (successful or failed), gas used and from/to addresses.

Account Balance and Activity

Using an account address, you can see the current balance, transaction history, and tokens held by that address. You can use this feature to track all your transactions or transactions of any token on the Polygon network.

Smart Contracts

Many developers choose to publish their smart contract source codes on PolygonsScan, which makes it easier for other users and developers to interact with and understand the code of the smart contract.

Token Tracking

PolygonScan provides information about different tokens on the Polygon Network, including ERC-20(Fungible tokens), ERC-721(NFTs), and ERC-1155(Multi-token standard) tokens. You can see details such as transfers, holders’ addresses, current value of assets, etc.

Blocks and Validators

Using PolygonScan, you can explore various blocks mined on the Polygon network and check details about validators and their activities which is crucial for understanding network security and performance.

Decentralised Applications (DApps) Activity

You can explore transactions related to specific DApps operating on the Polygon network, making it useful for users and developers to monitor the performance and usage of a DApp.

How to Use PolygonScan as a Beginner

Exploring Transactions

You can enter the hash of a particular transaction into the search bar. After pressing enter, you’ll be directed to a page carrying details about the transaction such as its status, block number and transaction fee.

Checking Account Balance

You can input a wallet address into the search bar to view the transaction history and balance of that address. This feature helps maintain transparency and allows you to track your transactions and check the activity of a particular address.

Verifying Smart Contracts

This feature is very useful for developers. Using the “Verify and Publish” feature, you can make your smart contract code public to promote transparency and trust. To execute this feature, you need to input the contract’s address, compiler details and the source code.

Exploring Tokens and NFTs

You can use the Token and NFT drawdown menu on PolygonScan to explore and analyse new and old tokens on the Polygon network. You can check out the top tokens and NFTs, transactions and other information about various tokens and NFTs.

For example, you can check various details including token price, maximum supply, transaction history, etc of the $FITT token which is the native token for a called Fitmint, an app that pays users for walking and running.

Monitoring Network Status

The homepage on the PolygonScan website displays the latest blocks, MATIC prices, and gas fees which help to understand the network activity and health of the network in real-time.

Alternatives to PolygonScan

Every blockchain has a block explorer similar to PolygonScan. For example, Binance Smart chain has BSCScan, Ethereum has Etherscan and Solana has Solscan. However, Bitquery is a platform that supports a wide range of blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, etc.

You can choose a block explorer that works well for the blockchain of your choice to track transaction history, gas fees and other details.

Conclusion

PolygonScan is a powerful tool for any user in the Polygon blockchain network, offering a transparent view of Polygon’s network activities such as transactions, smart contract verification, Gas fee tracking, etc. As a beginner, you can find the latest tokens, NFTs and other DApps that have great potential as an investment. Whether you’re a developer, investor, or simply curious to learn about crypto, PolygonScan can be a powerful tool and resource and help you learn about Web3 in a fun and engaging way.