The Great Firewall’s Reach
The Great Firewall of China is notorious for restricting access to various foreign websites, preventing Chinese citizens from accessing sites like Google and Facebook. Imagine trying to Google how to make the perfect dumpling while the internet police stare at you through the digital peep-hole. One of the latest victims of this barrier is Etherscan, a popular Ethereum blockchain explorer.
Blockage Timeline Unveiled
According to GreatFire, a watchdog that keeps tabs on internet censorship in China, Etherscan was blocked in October 2019. As of December 3, 2019, users within mainland China found the site utterly inaccessible. Talk about a bad day for crypto enthusiasts trying to track transactions!
Initially, the site was functional. In fact, it had “no censorship detected” on August 17, 2019. However, much like your favorite TV show getting canceled, reality struck on October 29, when Etherscan’s status turned from ‘active’ to ‘nope’ at unknown hour.
What Did Etherscan Have to Say?
While many users were blissfully unaware of the block, Etherscan’s CEO, Matthew Tan, shared that they had realized something was amiss “within the last three months.” It seems like they were a little late to this digital party, but they’re still the life of it when it comes to blockchain data.
Exploring Alternatives: Other ETH Explorers Stand Strong
Despite the setback, not everything is gloomy in the world of Ethereum. There are still viable block explorers accessible to Chinese users. For instance, a localized variant, cn.etherscan.com, remains live and kicking! It’s like your favorite get-together still happening at a different location after the main party gets shut down.
- Etherchain.org
- Ethplorer.io
- MyEtherWallet’s EthVM
These sites let users track blocks, wallet addresses, and all the exciting behind-the-scenes data without having to resort to espionage.
The Bigger Picture: Censorship and the Crypto World
As adventurous as the cryptocurrency realm is, it also faces peculiar challenges, especially within environments heavily regulated by government firewalls. For many, the censorship of Etherscan is not just a minor hiccup but raises substantial questions about the future of transparency and access in the blockchain ecosystem.
So, we might have some alternative explorers, but let’s not forget that being blocked raises a few eyebrows—and many unanswered questions—for crypto users in China. To censor blockchain access may not banish crypto entirely, but it sure puts a damper on the party!
+ There are no comments
Add yours