Guide · Beginner · 2026
Reading a Solana transaction on Solscan
After you send SOL (or an agent pays an x402 endpoint), you will want to prove it. Wallet UIs can feel noisy. A block explorer is the calm version of the truth.
What you need
- A transaction signature (base58 string, often 88 chars) — not the private key.
- The correct cluster: Devnet vs Mainnet. Looking on the wrong one looks like “tx not found.”
Steps
- Copy the signature from your wallet activity or API receipt.
- Open solscan.io (or your preferred explorer).
- Paste the signature into search.
- Confirm the network toggle matches where you sent (Mainnet-Beta vs Devnet).
Fields that matter
- Status / result: success vs failed. Failed transfers do not count as payment proof.
- Signer / fee payer: who authorized the transaction.
- Account balance changes: who lost SOL/tokens and who gained. For donations, the receive address balance should increase.
- Token transfers: for USDC, look at SPL token balance changes, not only native SOL.
- Timestamp / slot: useful when a server rejects “too old” proofs.
- Program logs: advanced debugging when a program rejects an instruction.
Connecting this to x402
Some sellers (including this site’s donate endpoint) accept a transaction signature as proof. The server re-reads the chain via RPC and checks that the right address received at least the minimum amount. Solscan is how you double-check the same facts by eye.
Common confusions
- “Phantom looks janky”: explorers show the same data with less UI chrome. Trust confirmed chain state over a loading spinner.
- Wrong cluster: Devnet signatures never appear on mainnet explorers.
- Private key ≠ signature: never paste a private key into Solscan or a chat.
Ship x402 is an independent educational project. Not financial advice.