claude-dev-suite Esplora
Block explorer + REST API by Blockstream. Two parts:
- electrs fork (esplora-electrs) — backend indexer.
- Esplora frontend — web UI + REST API.
Repo: github.com/Blockstream/esplora.
Setup
Heavy: requires Bitcoin Core with txindex=1 + esplora-electrs
indexer + frontend Node.js process.
# Start Esplora's electrs-fork as backend
electrs --daemon-rpc-addr=127.0.0.1:8332 \
--http-addr=127.0.0.1:3000
# Frontend serves /api proxy + UI
cd esplora && npm run dev
REST API
Public endpoint for blockstream.info:
GET /api/tx/<txid>
GET /api/block/<hash>
GET /api/address/<addr>/utxo
GET /api/address/<addr>/txs
GET /api/mempool
GET /api/fee-estimates
JSON responses; well-documented at github.com/Blockstream/esplora/blob/master/API.md.
Self-hosted explorer
Run your own:
- Privacy: queries don't go to a third party.
- Full feature: address history, mempool, fees, charts.
- Heavy: ~1-2 TB disk, several GB RAM.
Public services
- blockstream.info — Esplora's flagship instance.
- mempool.space — separate codebase but Esplora-compatible API in some endpoints.
- Lightning wallets often use Esplora REST API as light-client backend (e.g., LDK Node default).
Compared
| Aspect | Esplora REST | Bitcoin Core REST | Mempool.space API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address history | yes | no | yes |
| Mempool details | rich | basic | rich |
| Fee estimates | yes | basic | best |
| Self-hostable | yes | yes (no UI) | yes |
| API style | Esplora-spec | bitcoind REST | mempool.space spec |
Common bugs
- Confused with
esplora-electrs(the indexer) vs Esplora frontend — both names overlap. - Reorg handling: address-tx history can show stale entries during deep reorgs; refresh.
- Missing CORS for public deployments; configure carefully.