[Guide] Using Blockchain Explorers

[Pokapoka124]

1. How to use Blockchair to generate account statement
You know how we Bitcoiners  like to say, "You can be your own bank with bitcoin" well you can do that and account for every coin that comes in and goes out of your wallet. If you're required to pay taxes in your country for bitcoin, this will help. You can also use this feature to monitor your hodlings from signature campaigns. And serve as a tool to know one's psychology on hodling coins.


Go to http://blockchair.com/
You can simply enter the bitcoin address you want to search (for the purpose of this guide, we will be using this address as an example
bc1qxy2kgdygjrsqtzq2n0yrf2493p83kkfjhx0wlh)
and it will give you a output like this

Click on generate wallet.

Select the time period you want the account records

You can download the account statement in pdf format.

This is what the account statement looks like.  The time, amount of each Bitcoin and fiat value is indicated as well as the Bitcoin hash rate.

2.How to find the fiat value of a transaction at the time it was received?
Blockchair displays the value of inputs and outputs at the time the transaction was made. That means you can know the fiat value of bitcoin traded at a particular time.
Scroll down to transaction history. Click on sender and recipient. The fiat value will be displayed as it is in the image below



3. Want More Privacy?
Blockchain explorers may or may not  be giving away your privacy when you use them. If you want to be completely anonymous  use a TOR browser and a strong VPN service to access explorers.
I hope this pictorial guide help someone find what they are looking for. Cheers

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[tranthidung]

If you want to be completely anonymous  use a TOR browser and a strong VPN service to access explorers.

If you use Tor, you does not need to use VPN service so it should be or, not and. If you use a VPN service, you should use a paid one in order to get both seamlessly connections and anonymity. If you use a free version, you might not have best protection for your anonymity.

Tor is the same and it is a free browser to use but sometimes its operations is low and some websites don't accept Tor.

• Choose VPN service from https://www.privacytools.io/#vpn
• Tor is available for Android too: https://www.torproject.org/download/#android

[bitmover]

..

I think this is basically printing out an address history. You can do that in your own wallet, such as electrum or any other. After all, those records are in the blockchain and cannot be deleted. You will never lose that history.

I personally find the value of a transaction when received very cool.

I made a tool to track the balance of multiple bitcoin addresses (https://bitcoindata.science/bitcoin-balance-check.html), which can be very useful (at least for me) if you have multiple bitcoin wallets (mobile, web, desktop, hardware wallet, etc). You can just enter your addresses there and click "check balance".

[Little Mouse]

If you use Tor, you does not need to use VPN service so it should be or, not and.

It's not true. Sometimes, your ISP may check what you are doing and will find your history is encrypted, which maybe a red signal. Connecting to VPN and then using TOR would possibly give you benefit there. There can be bug/issue with TOR browser. Having access through VPN will add better privacy for you.
In short, TOR is okay. TOR with VPN is better.

[hugeblack]

Your guide is good and appropriate. You just need to do some formatting and it will be perfect.

The funny part is that you haven't put any link yet ---> blockchair.com.
The features of this explorer are:

 - TX statement^[1]: Just as explained above, you can get these same features for the wallet.
 - Anonymous portfolio tracker: you can track your portfolio without using any third-part apps.
 - Tor features: to enhance privacy, most explorers do not enjoy such privacy.


Does anyone know if there is a way to add the exchange rate for a country that does not exist or to modify fiat exchange rate (some countries have more than one exchange rate VS USD.)

[1] https://blockchair.com/pdf?chain=bitcoin
[2] https://blockchair.com/markets

[Saint-loup]

If you want to be completely anonymous  use a TOR browser and a strong VPN service to access explorers.

If you use Tor, you does not need to use VPN service so it should be or, not and. If you use a VPN service, you should use a paid one in order to get both seamlessly connections and anonymity. If you use a free version, you might not have best protection for your anonymity.

That's wrong bro, there are free VPNs with a huge level of privacy and anonymity, certainly way above paying ones that you need to pay with your credit card. On the other hand, free VPNs are usually slower, offer less features and locations, and sometimes limit the amount of Mb available for free monthly or weekly.

[bitmover]

If you use Tor, you does not need to use VPN service so it should be or, not and. If you use a VPN service, you should use a paid one in order to get both seamlessly connections and anonymity. If you use a free version, you might not have best protection for your anonymity.

That's wrong bro, there are free VPNs with a huge level of privacy and anonymity, certainly way above paying ones that you need to pay with your credit card. On the other hand, free VPNs are usually slower, offer less features and locations, and sometimes limit the amount of Mb available for free monthly or weekly.

I think protonVPN is probably the best free option available:
https://protonvpn.com/free-vpn/

The problem is that you won't be able to use it all the time, there are limitations in the free plan

[Pokapoka124]

"Not your Node, Not your Rules." Running your own node is advisable. You need to have a basic technical ability is required to operate a full node. I found this thread explaining the basics of running a personal node How to run and operate your own bitcoin node

[o_e_l_e_o]

If you want to be completely anonymous  use a TOR browser and a strong VPN service to access explorers.

If you use Tor, you does not need to use VPN service so it should be or, not and. If you use a VPN service, you should use a paid one in order to get both seamlessly connections and anonymity. If you use a free version, you might not have best protection for your anonymity.

VPNs do not provide anonymity. They will provide additional privacy in some situations, but never anonymity. And if you use a free VPN, then your security and privacy will likely be worse than using nothing at all.

Also, the privacytools team have now migrated to privacyguides.org. You can read the reasons why here: https://privacyguides.org/blog/2021/09/14/welcome-to-privacy-guides/.
Here is the equivalent page regarding VPNs: https://privacyguides.org/providers/vpn/

It's not true. Sometimes, your ISP may check what you are doing and will find your history is encrypted, which maybe a red signal. Connecting to VPN and then using TOR would possibly give you benefit there.

Your traffic to Tor and your traffic to your VPN will both be encrypted. A VPN might help if your ISP is specifically blocking Tor, but a better solution would be to use a Tor bridge +/- pluggable transport.

In short, TOR is okay. TOR with VPN is better.

Not correct. Tor with VPN might be better if you know what you are doing, but can definitely be much worse.

[tranthidung]

"Not your Node, Not your Rules." Running your own node is advisable. You need to have a basic technical ability is required to operate a full node. I found this thread explaining the basics of running a personal node How to run and operate your own bitcoin node

Having a full node will help you when you broadcast your transactions but else, you can still use Tor browser to check your transaction to know whether it has confirmation(s) or not. With your own full node, you will be able to broadcast your transaction to protect your privacy and don't have to use any block explorer to check confirmation.

VPNs do not provide anonymity. They will provide additional privacy in some situations, but never anonymity. And if you use a free VPN, then your security and privacy will likely be worse than using nothing at all.

It's my mistake. Thank you for the correction. Privacy relates to how we connect to the Internet. Anonymity relates to how we use inputs and outputs for our transactions. It's best to have both privacy and anonymity. Many people think they will get better privacy by using free VPN that is not true.

Also, the privacytools team have now migrated to privacyguides.org. You can read the reasons why here: https://privacyguides.org/blog/2021/09/14/welcome-to-privacy-guides/.
Here is the equivalent page regarding VPNs: https://privacyguides.org/providers/vpn/

The warning is very clear and thank you for sharing both documents.

[Rruchi man]

I find this to be a valuable contribution that has multiple applications even more than the scope of what OP has highlighted.

You can also use this feature to monitor your hodlings from signature campaigns. And serve as a tool to know one's psychology on hodling coins.

Another use that this guideline has is that it can help serve as a tool to settle dispute between two people involved in a case  of exchange of crypto for cash, or payment of something with crypto, a case of - "I sent you some coins and you are claiming not to have received", a simple print out or pdf to show transaction history settles it.

[tranthidung]

List of useful Bitcoin block explorers. Blockchair explorer is my favorite one but I have no longer used it after the explorer changes their user interface months ago. I like the explorer with their privacy score which is available on https://blockstream.info/ explorer

The feature to get summary for account/ address balance, history, etc. is great. You did great job to point it out for newbies.

About privacy score, there are pros and cons. It is helpful to show the privacy level of your transaction from which you can learn and change the way you use input, output. However, if you use non-Tor browser to check your transactions, it might break your privacy as well. Explorers will collect your data that can be leaked or sold later.

[o_e_l_e_o]

That's wrong bro, there are free VPNs with a huge level of privacy and anonymity, certainly way above paying ones that you need to pay with your credit card.

The only free VPN I would ever even consider using would be ProtonVPN, since Proton Technologies have a long track record of being one of the best privacy focused companies out there, and their free VPN is subsidized and paid for by people paying for their paid VPN services. Every other free VPN I have ever examined is essentially spyware. It might change the IP address you access the web from, but your traffic isn't private or secure and they absolutely spy on you and sell your data. If you use a free VPN your privacy will be worse, not better, than using nothing at all. And again, a VPN (paid or otherwise) will never make you anonymous.