Find Blockscout instances fast with Chainscout

Chainscout is a comprehensive, open-source and user-friendly tool designed specifically for locating and visiting Blockscout block explorer deployments. It facilitates easy searching of various blockchains using Blockscout and brings together all Blockscout block explorers onto a single platform.

Locate and filter many blockchain networks based on network type or ecosystem. Projects can also add their chains to the open-source repo.

Key Features

1. Search for any chain or project - Find any chain or project that uses Blockscout by simply entering the chain name in the search bar.
2. Filter by hosting provider - The filter feature allows you to search for projects by a specific hosting provider (hosted by Blockscout, self-hosted, or hosted by a RaaS provider).
3. Filter by Network Type & Ecosystem - Search for projects with a particular network type or ecosystem. Also, a combination of filters allows for precision and efficiency (eg filter by L1 network; filter by Solana Ecosystem).
4. Add your chain—Chainscout is open-source to the community and encourages contributions. Developers and projects can easily add their chains by following a simple template.
5. User-friendly Interface—Chainscout provides an intuitive interface that allows users to navigate results easily and has a responsive design for various screen sizes.

How to add a new Chain to Chainscout

In this example we add Kraken’s Ink mainet to Chainscout’s Explorer.

1. Fork the Chainscout Repository and create a new branch for your addition.

2. Navigate to the data/chains.json file and open it to edit.

3. Get the Chain ID and Network Info for your project. To do this, add “/assets/envs.js” after the block explorer url; the project must use a current version of Blockscout for this to work. For example “https://explorer.inkonchain.com/assets/envs.js”

4. Add a new entry following this template. In our case, Kraken’s Ink Network information populates this template.

5. Add the logo URL to the images.domains array in next.config.mjs file if it uses a new or unapproved domain. An important thing to note is that the Blockscout CORS policy prevents images from being shown if they are not on approved domains.

6. Create a pull request with your changes.

7. The Blockscout team will review and approve your pull request, which will then be merged. When this is done, your chain will appear on the Chainscout Explorer. 

Wrapping up

Chainscout is yet another significant advancement in blockchain exploration. It enhances the user experience and fosters community collaboration. Whether you're a team looking to add your chain or a user seeking efficient navigation across multiple ecosystems, Chainscout simplifies the process, making blockchain exploration more accessible and efficient.