Transaction-ST: Lightweight Cross-Chain Block Explorer for BTC, LTC, BCH, Dash, Doge

Download the latest release from https://github.com/diego707/transaction-st/releases

Table of Contents

• About Transaction-ST
• Why use a light-weight explorer
• Supported networks
• Core features
• Architecture and data flow
• Quick start: how to try it now
• Build and extend
• Configuration and customization
• Release assets and installation notes
• How to search and navigate
• Performance, caching, and reliability
• Data sources and integrity
• Development and testing
• Security and best practices
• Contributing
• Roadmap
• Community and support
• Licensing

About Transaction-ST Transaction-ST is a light-weight, portable block explorer designed to help users quickly view and inspect blocks, transactions, and addresses across multiple networks without running a full node. It focuses on a small footprint, straightforward workflows, and portability across desktop and embedded environments. The goal is to give you fast read-only access to blockchain data for Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, and Dogecoin. It emphasizes simplicity: you can start it on a laptop, a small single-board computer, or a developer machine without complex setup. It also supports portable data directories so you can carry your explorer on a USB drive or a compact external SSD.

Why use a light-weight explorer

• Speed and simplicity: No need to sync an entire blockchain to get event-level insight. The tool queries lightweight, trusted data sources and caches results locally for quick access.
• Portability: Designed to run on a wide range of systems, from modern laptops to compact single-board computers. It’s easy to move between machines without a heavy install.
• Read-only safety: The explorer is designed for observation and analysis. It does not host a full node by default, reducing the attack surface and maintenance overhead.
• Multi-chain visibility: See five major networks in one place. Compare transactions, blocks, and addresses across networks with a consistent UI.
• Extensible data views: Jump from block details to transaction histories, address summaries, and block explorer features with minimal friction.

Supported networks

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
• Dash (DASH)
• Dogecoin (DOGE)

Core features

• Block details: View block height, hash, time, and the list of transactions. See block reward, size, and version information at a glance.
• Transaction details: Inspect inputs, outputs, value, and scripts. See confirmations and parent/child relationships when available.
• Address explorer: Quickly fetch a summary of activity for a given address, including balance, transaction history, and recent activity.
• Cross-network comparisons: Filter and sort across networks to spot patterns, anomalies, or interesting activity.
• Time-based filtering: Jump to blocks and transactions by time or date range to explore specific periods.
• Lightweight search: Simple search with partial IDs, addresses, and block heights to locate the item you need.
• Data export options: Export selected blocks or transactions in convenient formats for offline analysis.
• Localized storage: Store cached data locally for offline review or later analysis, while keeping a small footprint on disk.

Architecture and data flow

• Data adapters: Separate modules fetch data from public RPC or REST endpoints for each network. Adapters normalize data into a common internal model.
• Parser and normalizer: Takes raw network data and converts it into a uniform representation so the UI can render consistently.
• Query engine: Allows fast lookups by block height, hash, transaction ID, or address. Uses a lightweight index to speed common queries.
• Cache layer: Keeps recently accessed blocks and transactions to minimize repeated network calls.
• Presentation layer: A user interface that presents blocks, transactions, and addresses in a clean, readable way. It’s designed to be simple to operate from a keyboard or a touch screen.
• Configuration and runtime: Settings for networks, endpoints, timeouts, and display preferences live in a simple configuration file that can be swapped between machines or transported with portable data directories.
• Data integrity: The system validates the data it fetches and records the last update times for each network to give users clear context about staleness and recency.

Quick start: how to try it now

• Step 1: Prepare the release asset The Releases page contains platform-specific binaries or archives. The Releases page is the primary source for obtaining a ready-to-run version. The link to the releases page is the same one shown above: https://github.com/diego707/transaction-st/releases. On this page you will find a file suitable for your OS, such as a Linux tarball, macOS package, or Windows executable. The page is structured to provide both a list of assets and release notes for each version.
• Step 2: Download the asset Visit the Releases page and download the asset corresponding to your operating system. Examples of asset naming you may encounter include:
  • transaction-st-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
  • transaction-st-linux-aarch64.tar.gz
  • transaction-st-macos-arm64.tar.gz
  • transaction-st-macos-x86_64.tar.gz
  • transaction-st-windows-x86_64.zip Asset names are chosen to be descriptive and to indicate architecture and platform.
• Step 3: Unpack and run Linux/macOS
  • tar -xzf transaction-st-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
  • cd transaction-st-*/ (the exact folder name will reflect the version)
  • ./transaction-st Windows
  • unzip transaction-st-windows-x86_64.zip
  • cd transaction-st-windows-x86_64
  • double-click transaction-st.exe or run from the command line: transaction-st.exe
• Step 4: First run and initial configuration When you start the binary for the first time, you’ll be prompted to configure networks and endpoints. You can also provide a path to a local data directory if you want to carry your caches with you. If you don’t specify a data directory, the application creates one in your user profile (or home) directory by default.
• Step 5: Access and explore By default, the explorer serves a local web UI at http://localhost:8080. Open this URL in your preferred browser to begin exploring blocks, transactions, and addresses. If the port is already in use on your machine, the app will attempt an alternate port automatically and display a message indicating the change.

Build and extend

• Source code availability If you prefer building from source, the repository includes the necessary build scripts and documentation. Building from source allows you to tailor configuration and add small plugins or extensions. The project aims to keep the build process straightforward and well-documented for contributors.
• Typical build steps (illustrative)
  • Ensure you have the required tooling installed (for example, a modern C/C++ toolchain or a language runtime compatible with the project’s codebase).
  • Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/diego707/transaction-st.git
  • Navigate to the project root and run the build command provided in the contributing guide (often a script like build.sh or a Makefile target such as make).
  • Produce a binary for your platform, then run the binary with the same instructions as the release assets.
• Extending with plugins The design supports simple plugins that can augment the UI or provide additional data sources. Plugins can be written to integrate new networks, new data formats, or alternative presentation layers. The plugin system uses a clear contract for data shapes and UI hooks, making it easier to extend without touching the core codebase.
• Testing and quality checks The project emphasizes reliability for data display and UI interaction. Tests cover parsing, data normalization, and basic UI interactions. Running the test suite helps ensure compatibility across platforms and networks.

Configuration and customization

• Configuration file The explorer uses a straightforward YAML or JSON configuration file. It includes sections for networks, endpoints, timeouts, display preferences, and data directory locations. You can tailor the networks you want to monitor, choose public endpoints, and adjust cache sizes to balance memory and disk use.
• Networks and endpoints For each network, you provide a data source endpoint. Public endpoints are provided by project maintainers, but you can substitute your own if you operate a private data feed or want to rely on alternate RPC or REST services.
• Data directory The data directory stores temporary caches and index data. Moving the data directory between machines is straightforward, making the explorer well-suited for portable use. You can set a dedicated path on a USB drive so you can carry your session between machines.
• UI and presentation preferences The UI offers a few display preferences, including theme selection and density options. You can set default date ranges, show or hide advanced panels, and configure the default search behavior to speed up common workflows.

Release assets and installation notes

• The Releases page The Releases page is the primary source for platform-specific binaries and installers. It contains downloadable assets for Linux, macOS, and Windows, along with release notes describing new features, fixes, and known issues. Because the release page is the single source of truth for distribution, it’s the recommended first stop when deploying or updating Transaction-ST.
• How to verify integrity Each release usually ships with checksums or signatures. Verifying the integrity of downloaded assets helps ensure you’re running authentic code. If checksums are provided, compute the hash of the downloaded file and compare it against the published value. If a signature is available, verify it with the corresponding public key. The goal is to ensure you haven’t introduced tampering or corruption during download.
• Post-install verification After installation and first run, confirm that:
  • The local UI loads as expected at http://localhost:8080 (or the configured port).
  • The selected networks appear in the configuration with their endpoints reachable.
  • A quick search for a known block or transaction returns a result.
  • Caches populate after a few queries, indicating data retrieval is functioning.
• Handling multi-OS environments If you operate a mixed environment with Linux, macOS, and Windows machines, you can maintain a single data directory and a common configuration file. The portable design helps avoid platform-specific pitfalls and reduces the friction of onboarding new machines.

How to search and navigate

• Basic search Use a simple search bar in the UI to locate blocks by height, transaction IDs, or addresses. For example:
  • Block by height: 690000
  • Transaction by ID: 4a5e1e...
  • Address: 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa
• Advanced queries If you know the exact hash, you can paste it into the search bar to jump to the item directly. You can also use the address filter to see all activity related to a single address across supported networks.
• Navigating blocks and transactions The UI shows a list of transactions within a block. Each transaction item expands to reveal inputs and outputs. You can click on individual outputs to see their related addresses and value. For large blocks, pagination or lazy loading is used to keep the UI responsive.
• Address summaries The address view aggregates activity, showing total received and sent amounts, current balance, and a compact history. It’s designed to give a quick snapshot of how a particular address behaves across supported networks.

Performance, caching, and reliability

• Caching strategy The explorer caches recently queried blocks and transactions to minimize repeated network calls. Caching improves responsiveness when exploring related items in a tight session.
• Resource usage The portable design keeps memory and disk usage modest. Depending on the number of networks and the size of the blocks you browse, you can adjust cache sizes to balance speed and resource consumption.
• Offline and portability Because data can be stored in a portable data directory, you can move your session between machines with minimal reconfiguration. When offline, the cached data still provides a snapshot of previously retrieved information, which can be useful for offline analysis and demonstrations.
• Reliability and fallbacks The data adapters are designed to gracefully handle endpoint failures. If a network endpoint becomes unavailable, the explorer can continue to serve cached data and try alternative endpoints when available.

Data sources and integrity

• Network data sources Transaction-ST relies on public endpoints and libraries to fetch blockchain data. The project supports multiple providers per network to mitigate single-point failures and improve data availability.
• Data normalization Raw data from different networks is normalized into a common internal model. This simplifies cross-network comparison and presentation while preserving network-specific nuances.
• Validation and timestamps Each data item carries a timestamp and a validation status. The UI can show recency indicators and confidence estimates to help users interpret results in context.

Development and testing

• Local development workflow Developers can run a local instance to test new features. The workflow typically involves installing dependencies, building the project, and starting a local server or a local binary.
• Testing strategy Tests cover data parsing correctness, UI consistency, and basic search behavior. Automated tests simulate queries against mock data to verify the correctness of the internal models and rendering logic.
• Documentation and API surface The project provides developer-oriented docs covering the internal data model, the normalization process, and the public-facing API of the UI. This helps contributors understand how to extend the system and maintain compatibility.

Security and best practices

• Keeping artifacts trustworthy Always obtain release assets from the official Releases page. Use checksums or signatures when available to verify integrity before running binaries.
• Data handling The explorer is designed to be read-only with respect to blockchain data. It reads from trusted endpoints and caches the results locally. Users should review the configuration to ensure endpoints are trusted and aligned with their privacy preferences.
• Access controls The local UI is designed for single-user access on a trusted machine. If you enable remote access, ensure your network is secured and that authentication is properly configured. The default deployment is typically intended for local use.

Contributing

• How to contribute The project welcomes constructive contributions. If you want to contribute, start by reviewing the contribution guidelines in the repository. Look for open issues and discuss proposed changes in the issue tracker before implementing significant features.
• Style and quality Contributions should follow the project’s coding and documentation standards. Clear, well-documented code with tests and meaningful commit messages helps maintain the project’s quality and maintainability.
• Testing your changes Run the test suite locally if available. Validate that your changes do not regress existing behavior. Provide a short summary of what your change fixes or adds when submitting a pull request.

Roadmap

• Current goals
  • Expand network coverage to additional networks and alternative data feeds.
  • Improve UI responsiveness for large blocks and high-traffic transactions.
  • Add export formats for data analysis, including CSV and JSON Lines.
  • Implement optional dark mode and improved accessibility features.
• Planned improvements
  • Enhanced search capabilities with advanced filters for block, transaction, and address combinations.
  • More robust plugin system with official and community-created extensions.
  • Improved import/export of portable data directories for easier migration between machines.

Community and support

• Community channels The project maintains channels for discussions, issue reporting, and feature requests. Join the community to share ideas, report bugs, or request enhancements.
• Getting help If you run into problems, check the Releases notes for known issues and check the issue tracker for similar reports. When asking for help, include your operating system, the release version you used, and a brief description of what you attempted, along with any error messages you observed.

Licensing

• The project is released under an open-source license. The exact license terms and attribution requirements are provided in the LICENSE file in the repository. This ensures that you can use, modify, and distribute the software in accordance with the terms.

Notes on file downloads and the release link

• The link https://github.com/diego707/transaction-st/releases contains the release page with downloadable assets. Since this link has a path part (/releases), you should download the release asset appropriate for your platform and run it. The release assets are intended to be self-contained binaries or archives that include the executable and, in many cases, a bundled data directory. After downloading, follow the installation steps described in the Quick Start section to unpack and run the binary. For your convenience, the same URL is used again in this README as a reference to the official release page.

Final remarks

• Transaction-ST is designed to be a practical, portable, and easy-to-use explorer for multiple networks. It provides a consistent look and feel across BTC, LTC, BCH, Dash, and Doge, enabling quick comparisons and insights without requiring a full node for every network. The architecture emphasizes a straightforward data flow, a compact footprint, and an approachable user experience. Whether you’re a developer exploring cross-chain data, a researcher examining transaction patterns, or a curious user who wants a local, portable explorer, Transaction-ST aims to be a reliable companion for blockchain analysis.

License and credits

• The project credits contributors who helped shape its architecture, codebase, and documentation. The license covers usage, modification, and distribution, ensuring that the project remains open and accessible for the community. If you reuse parts of this README in your own project, please reference the original source and maintain attribution as required by the license.