All transactions on the second-largest blockchain, Ethereum, are usually broadcast to the whole network to allow node owners to submit requests to validate them. There are various types of transactions on Ethereum, including:
Regular transactions – These occur from one user account to another.
Contract-deployment transactions – These do not include a “to” address, and normally, the data field is used in deploying the code of the smart contract.
Contract-execution transactions – These are transactions that interact with a deployed smart contract.
That said, this article will guide you on how to check any transaction happening on the Ethereum blockchain.
Step 1: Pick an Ethereum Blockchain Explorer
There are multiple blockchain explorers that you can use to track a transaction. Some of them are specially designed for Ethereum, while others support various chains. Examples of dedicated Ethereum blockchain explorers include Ethplorer, EthVM, and Etherscan.
Step 2: Input the transaction hash (txid) into the Search Field of the Blockchain Explorer
Different blockchain explorers allow users to enter details like wallet address, block, txid (transaction hash), and token name to search for a particular transaction’s information. But in this article, we will focus on txid since it is the most used. Every blockchain transaction has a unique identifier, which is known as txid. It is made up of random numbers and letters.
So how do you find the txid on your transaction? If you are using MetaMask, go to the “Activity” tab, then select the transaction, and copy the hash.
Now, go to your selected blockchain explorer and enter the txid in the search box to check the status of your transaction.
Step 3: Check Whether Your Transaction Was Successful
After clicking “Search,” the blockchain explorer will display the transaction status within seconds. To know if your transaction has been added to a block and got validated, the explorer will show “Successful” or “Success.”
So, if the transaction status is “Success,” then your ETH tokens should reach the recipient within a few minutes.
On the other hand, in case the transaction status returns as “Failed,” the blockchain explorer will show various error messages, including:
Out of Gas: This means that your transaction was not successful due to a lack of enough gas fees to fuel it to the receiver’s wallet.
Reverted: This shows the transaction’s details are invalid. Therefore, the ETH tokens have been sent back to your wallet.
Transaction not Found: This suggests that your transaction has not been added to the blockchain or hasn’t gone through.
Pending: This message indicates that your transaction has yet to be validated. Note that it is possible to replace or cancel a pending transaction.
How Long Does it Take for an Ethereum Transaction to Be Processed?
It can take up to five minutes for a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain to be completed, depending on a number of factors, such as the gas fee paid and the network congestion.
Last September, when Ethereum transitioned to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, many users thought the move would drastically improve transaction speeds, but that has not been the case. In addition, Ethereum transactions remain to be the most expensive in the blockchain industry.
Why it is Important to Check the Status of Your Transactions
Congestion on the Ethereum blockchain can cause gas fees to spike within minutes. Therefore, checking the status of your Ethereum transaction helps you track the cost of transacting on this blockchain at a particular period. It also enables you to determine if you paid enough gas fee to have your transaction completed within the expected time. In the case of low gas fees, your transaction could be delayed for even 24 hours.
Other important details that blockchain explorers give include:
Block Confirmations: This data indicates how many blocks have been mined since your transaction got confirmed.
Timestamp: This shows when your transaction was included in a particular block for validation.
Conclusion
As you can see, blockchain explorers provide users with vital information regarding Ethereum transactions to help them properly conduct transactions in the future.
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