Statescan

Block explorer and analytics platform for Substrate-based blockchains,

Statescan: Open-Source Block Explorer for Substrate (Polkadot, Kusama & Parachains)

Statescan is a 100% open-source, multi-chain block explorer purpose-built for Substrate-based networks. It covers core on-chain data plus pallet-specific views (Identity, Multisig, Vesting, Proxy, Assets/NFTs) and can be self-hosted by parachain teams. This guide explains what Statescan is, how it works, how it compares to alternatives, and how builders and analysts can get practical value from it.

What is Statescan? (and why it matters)

Statescan is an open-source, cost-efficient explorer dedicated to Substrate networks—Polkadot, Kusama, and parachains. It provides standard explorer views (blocks, extrinsics, events, accounts) plus pallet-aware analytics across Identity, Multisig, Vesting, Proxy, and Assets/NFTs. The project is built and maintained by OpenSquare (also behind SubSquare and doTreasury) and has served the ecosystem since 2020.

Critically, Statescan is self-hostable (statescan-v2), enabling parachain teams to run a chain-specific explorer with their own branding, RPC endpoints, and module coverage—without vendor lock-in.

ELI5

Think of Polkadot as a city of many neighborhoods (parachains). An explorer is your city map + security camera replay. Statescan is that map—open to everyone, easy to install in your own neighborhood, and with special lenses to see IDs, shared accounts (multisig), token vesting, proxies, and assets/NFTs.

Key features

100% open source with transparent code and community contributions.
Multi-chain support across Polkadot, Kusama, and dozens of parachains.
Pallet-aware analytics: Identity, Multisig (approval flows), Vesting (timelines), Proxy (delegations), and Assets/NFTs (Asset Hub & parachain pallets).
Low-cost architecture designed for ecosystem teams and community deployments.
Self-hostable (statescan-v2) for full control over infra, branding, and data.
Ecosystem-friendly: complements wallets, governance portals, and builder tooling.

How Statescan works (high level)

Indexers connect to your chain’s RPC, scan blocks, extrinsics, and events, and parse pallet-specific business logic (e.g., pallet-identity, pallet-multisig, pallet-vesting, pallet-proxy, pallet-assets/pallet-uniques).
A backend API exposes normalized data models for chain entities (blocks, accounts, assets, NFTs, multisig approvals, etc.).
A frontend UI renders standard explorer pages plus pallet-specific dashboards (e.g., identity verifications, multisig approval timelines, vesting schedules, proxy hierarchies, asset catalogs).
Self-hosting is enabled via the statescan-v2 deployment setup; parachain teams configure nodes, endpoints, and chain metadata to tailor coverage.

Who Statescan is for

Parachain teams needing a customizable, open explorer for mainnets, testnets, and devnets.
Data analysts & protocol researchers who require detailed pallet-level context.
Wallets, tooling, and integrators that embed explorer links for support and UX.
OpenGov delegates & community members tracing asset teleports, NFT lifecycles, and multisig flows.

Real-world adoption

Statescan is used across multiple Substrate projects and ecosystems, with public instances and self-hosted deployments by parachain teams and testnets. Common use cases include:

Parachain-specific explorers branded to match a project’s identity.
Testnet explorers for dev workflows and QA.
Community mirrors to improve availability and load distribution.

Statescan vs Subscan vs polkadot.js Apps

TL;DR:

Choose Statescan if you want open source + self-hosting + pallet-aware views.
Choose Subscan for a mature, hosted Explorer-as-a-Service solution and wide network coverage.
Use polkadot.js Apps when you need a general on-chain UI for transactions and development workflows.

Feature comparison

Feature	Statescan	Subscan	polkadot.js Apps
Open source	Yes (statescan-v2)	Mixed (primarily hosted product)	Yes
Self-hostable	Yes	Limited (commercial hosting typical)	N/A (UI/client, not an explorer stack)
Multi-chain (Polkadot/Kusama/parachains)	Yes (dozens of chains)	Yes (very wide coverage)	Connects to many networks via endpoints
Pallet-aware modules (Identity/Multisig/Vesting/Proxy)	Yes	Yes (varies by chain/plan)	Raw state views; less opinionated analytics
Assets/NFTs (Asset Hub; uniques)	Yes	Yes	Raw state views
Pricing	Open source; run your own infra	Commercial EaaS	Free client UI
Typical users	Builders, parachain teams, power users	Foundations/chain teams, exchanges, end-users	Developers, validators, advanced users

Mini-guide: Auditing a Polkadot multisig with Statescan

Goal: Verify that a multisig transfer reached the required approvals and executed successfully.

Search the multisig account address. Open the Polkadot (or target chain) Statescan instance and paste the multisig address into search.
Open the Multisig dashboard. Locate the target call hash / timepoint and check the required threshold (e.g., 2/3).
Review approvals. Inspect events/extrinsics such as asMulti and approveAsMulti. Confirm each signer and timestamp.
Verify execution. Open the extrinsic detail to confirm success, fee paid, and affected accounts.
Investigate blockers if failed. Cross-check proxy relationships (Proxy view) or vesting locks (Vesting view) that could restrict free balance or authorization.

Why this works: Statescan’s pallet-aware parsing surfaces the approval flow and execution status, turning a complex multisig journey into a clear, auditable trail.

Common pitfalls & pro tips

Account vs identity confusion: Use the Identity view to disambiguate identities tied to multiple addresses; it reduces false assumptions in incident reviews.
Missing the final approval: Multisig calls often stall at n-1 approvals—check the timepoint and signer list to ensure the last approval was recorded.
Vesting timelines: A transfer may fail due to insufficient free balance under vesting locks. Confirm unlock schedules in Vesting.
Proxy surprises: Calls can be routed through a Proxy; verify the proxy hierarchy to ensure the correct delegate executed the call.
Choosing an explorer: If you need hosted simplicity and an SLA, Subscan’s EaaS is strong; if you want code control and cost efficiency, Statescan’s self-hosting fits.
Ecosystem coverage: For some chains, dedicated explorers exist; select the instance that best matches your module needs.

FAQs

1) Is Statescan really open source? Yes. Statescan provides a 100% open-source, self-hostable codebase (statescan-v2).

2) Which pallets does Statescan cover out of the box? Identity, Multisig, Vesting, Proxy—and assets/NFT modules via Asset Hub and parachain pallets.

3) How many chains are supported? Statescan supports Polkadot, Kusama, and dozens of parachains, with instances commonly added over time.

4) How does Statescan differ from Subscan? Statescan is open and self-hostable; Subscan is a hosted Explorer-as-a-Service with broad coverage and SLAs.

5) Can my team run Statescan for our parachain/testnet? Yes—teams routinely deploy custom Statescan instances for mainnets and testnets.

6) Does Statescan support NFTs? Yes—Statescan implements uniques (NFTs) and asset views, including lifecycle events.

7) Is polkadot.js Apps an explorer? It’s primarily an on-chain UI for transactions and chain state. It can display data but isn’t an analytics explorer.

8) Who maintains Statescan? OpenSquare, the team behind SubSquare and doTreasury.

Conclusion

Statescan gives the Polkadot ecosystem a transparent, self-hostable alternative for deep on-chain visibility—especially valuable for parachain teams and power users who need pallet-aware analytics without vendor lock-in. If you’re selecting an explorer stack for a new network or upgrading your analytics UX, pilot Statescan, validate the modules you need, and then decide whether to self-host or combine it with a hosted service.