Beginner
Reading Contracts on Block Explorers — Hands-on
Navigate real contracts.
Developer Beginner
5/7 — Reading Contracts on Block Explorers — Hands-on
GoalBe fluent in finding “who called what, with which args, and what happened inside.” Practice on a testnet so you can click freely.
Steps
- Pick a verified contract:On a testnet (ERC-20 or simple dApp) and open it in an explorer.
- Read the overview:Note compiler version, verification status, and any proxy/implementation link.
- Open a recent transaction:Identify from/to, decoded method name/args, and inspect internal transactions/value transfers.
- Open the Events tab:Filter for a common event (e.g., Transfer), note topics vs data.
- Use the Read tab:To call a view function; confirm the return matches expectations (e.g., totalSupply).
- If there is a:Proxy badge, click through to the implementation and repeat the checks.
- Optional:Download the ABI and decode one log manually using an ABI decoder to confirm it matches explorer output.