L2 · ARBITRUM ANYTRUST

Block Explorer for Arbitrum Nova

Ethernal is a hosted block explorer for Arbitrum Nova that connects to your RPC endpoint and provides real-time transaction decoding, contract verification, and AnyTrust data availability monitoring. Arbitrum Nova uses a committee-based DA model instead of posting all data to Ethereum, making it significantly cheaper for high-volume applications like gaming and social platforms. Deploy your Nova explorer in under 5 minutes.

Chain ID 42170

Framework Arbitrum AnyTrust

Parent Ethereum

Token ETH

AnyTrust Data Availability Monitoring

Arbitrum Nova uses AnyTrust, a committee-based data availability model where a Data Availability Committee (DAC) stores transaction data off-chain. Only a certificate (DACert) is posted to Ethereum L1. Ethernal tracks your DAC certificate postings, monitors committee health, and alerts if data availability falls below threshold. Configure it by entering your Rollup and Inbox contract addresses.

explorer.nova.example/settings

Arbitrum Orbit Configuration

L1 Parent Chain

Ethereum Mainnet

Rollup Contract Address

0xFb209827c58283535b744575e11953DCC4bEAD88

Inbox Contract Address

0xc4448b71118c9071Bcb9734A0EAc55D18A153949

Create Configuration

explorer.nova.example/tx/0x8a2f...d471

Transaction Fee Breakdown

L2 Execution0.000012 ETH

L1 Data (AnyTrust DAC)0.000001 ETH

Total Fee0.000013 ETH

Same tx on Arbitrum One (full rollup)~0.000089 ETH

AnyTrust vs Full Rollup: Fee Comparison

Nova transactions cost a fraction of what they cost on Arbitrum One because the DAC handles data availability instead of posting calldata to Ethereum. Ethernal displays the L1 data cost component for each transaction, so developers building on Nova can verify they are getting the expected fee savings compared to a full rollup.

Explorer Features

Transaction Decoding

Function names, parameters, and events decoded against verified ABIs

Contract Verification

Verify Solidity source, read and write contract state from the UI

Token Tracking

ERC-20, ERC-721, and ERC-1155 transfers and balance changes

Call Traces

Full execution traces with nested internal calls and revert reasons

Custom Domain

Your brand, your domain, full whitelabel on paid plans

How to Set Up an Arbitrum Nova Block Explorer

Create a workspace

Connect your Nova RPC

Paste your Arbitrum Nova RPC endpoint. For mainnet, use https://nova.arbitrum.io/rpc or any provider like Alchemy or QuickNode.

Configure Orbit bridge monitoring

Enter your Rollup (0xFb209827c58283535b744575e11953DCC4bEAD88) and Inbox (0xc4448b71118c9071Bcb9734A0EAc55D18A153949) contract addresses. Ethernal starts monitoring bridge activity automatically.

Go live

Point your custom domain (e.g. explorer.nova.example) to your Ethernal workspace. Your explorer is live with transaction decoding, contract verification, and bridge tracking.

Arbitrum Nova Explorer Options Compared

Teams building on Arbitrum Nova typically evaluate Nova Arbiscan (official), Blockscout (open-source self-hosted), and Ethernal (hosted with AnyTrust-native features).

FeatureEthernalNova ArbiscanBlockscout

Custom domainYesNoYes (self-host)

Full whitelabelYesNoYes (self-host)

AnyTrust DA trackingBuilt-inLimitedPlugin

Hosted (no infra)YesYesSelf-host

Setup time< 5 minN/A (public)Hours/days

Call tracesYesYesYes

Custom AnyTrust chainSupportedNoSelf-host

Pricing for Arbitrum Nova Explorers

Start free with the Starter plan (ad-supported, includes contract verification, token tracking, and unlimited transactions). For custom domains and L1 explorer integration, the Team plan starts at $150/month. Full whitelabel with custom branding, status page, and 5M transactions included is available on the App Chain plan at $500/month.

View Full Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Arbitrum Nova and Arbitrum One?

Arbitrum One is a full optimistic rollup that posts all transaction data to Ethereum L1. Arbitrum Nova uses AnyTrust, where a Data Availability Committee stores data off-chain and only posts a certificate to L1. This makes Nova significantly cheaper (often 10x or more) but introduces a trust assumption on the committee. Nova is ideal for gaming, social, and high-frequency use cases.

How do I set up a block explorer for Arbitrum Nova?

Create a workspace on Ethernal, paste your Arbitrum Nova RPC endpoint (https://nova.arbitrum.io/rpc), configure the Orbit bridge with your Rollup and Inbox addresses, and point your custom domain. The process takes under 5 minutes.

Did Reddit use Arbitrum Nova?

Yes. Reddit chose Arbitrum Nova for its Community Points system in 2022, leveraging the low transaction costs to enable millions of token transfers for subreddit rewards. Although the Community Points program was sunset in late 2023, it demonstrated Nova's capacity for high-volume social applications.

Can I use Ethernal for my own AnyTrust chain?

Yes. If you are running a custom Arbitrum Orbit chain with AnyTrust data availability, Ethernal supports it. Provide your chain's RPC and Rollup/Inbox contract addresses and Ethernal configures bridge monitoring automatically.

Does Ethernal track AnyTrust Data Availability Committee status?

Ethernal monitors DAC certificate postings to Ethereum L1 and tracks batch submission patterns. You can see which batches used AnyTrust DA certificates versus fallback rollup mode, giving visibility into your chain's data availability health.

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