VOL 1 (2017) NO 3

e-ISSN : 2549-9904
ISSN : 2549-9610

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON INFORMATICS VISUALIZATION

Study on Blockchain Visualization

Tri A. Sundara#, Ideva Gaputra#, Siska Aulia*
# Department of Information Systems, STMIK Indonesia, Padang, 25136, Indonesia
* Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Padang, 25163, Indonesia
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract— Blockchain is a distributed ledger system which provide underlying technology behind Bitcoin. Blockchain paradigm can
be extended to provide a generalized framework for implementing decentralized computing resources. Some attempts has been made
to visualize Blockchain transaction flow. This research aims to assess those attempts through systematic review.

Keywords—Blockchain, Visualization.

I. INTRODUCTION
Blockchain initially developed as a distributed ledger The idea of currencies flows in networks is not new. With
system to support Bitcoin. Bitcoin itself, initially conceived Bitcoin we finally have a currency that not only links people
as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.[1] Bitcoin is (or: nodes) together in financial transactions, but the network
starting to come into its own as a digital currency, but the is transparent. But experts argue that the currency is just one
blockchain technology behind it could prove to be much of many applications that can be built on the Blockchain
more significant.[2]. The distributed ledger technology has algorithm and database powering Bitcoin. This way of
been expanded beyond blockchain.[3] When more linking nodes can be used to weave authentication layers in
Blockchain solutions are taken in use with larger numbers of all sorts of networked applications.
users, it will also have an impact on the research done on With combination of open and transparent data available
technical limitations and challenges. In the future, increased through various interfaces or APIs in combination with a
sizes and user bases in various Blockchain will trigger the networked data structure should be a valuable resource for
need to conduct more research on the challenges and data visualizers and information designers. Many of the
limitations in topics related to scalability [4] visualization approach in this study use blockchain APIs
which is open for developers.
II. BLOCKCHAIN
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Blockchain is a distributed ledger system that enable third
party that don’t fully trusted each other to do transaction. [5] The study was conducted through systematic mapping
It was transparent, so that other parties could rely on it and process. [14]. As a methodology, systematic review
developers can take advantage from its transparency, generally selects relevant primary studies and uses methods
including visualizing the transactions happened in real-time. of synthesis. [15].The data was gathered through internet-
based data collection.
A. Introduction
The blockchain technology which endorse mutualism, IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
open collaborations, and exchange network may imply A. Data Visualization
economy of abundance and have a significant social impact.
[6] Even though the technology may have business and We are examining 8 visualizations attempts of Blockchain:
technical challenges [7], such as acceptance of Bitcoin, its 1. Bit bonkers, 2. Bitcoin City, 3. Binodes, 4. Block seer, 5.
implementation in many other fields, for example Internet of Daily blockchain, 6. Elliptic, 7. Interact, and 8. Live globe.
Things, may have a greater significance. [8] However we These are some results obtained from those visualization
rely on its implementation in currency that has been studied approaches:
extensively. [9]-[13]

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 Fig. 1. An example of blockchain.info page which include documentation of Blockchain API

1. Bitbonkers every 10 minutes, the size of the block is determined by its

Bitbonkers is a visualisation of live bitcoin transactions size in kilobytes.
from the blockchain. Every time a bitcoin transaction is The cubes keep falling off the plate so that the browser
made it is shown here as coloured ball dropping on the plate, doesn't crash. It was made using using three.js and oimo.js
we can click on the transactions to find out exactly how JavaScript libraries, and live streaming bitcoin transaction
much they are worth in btc. The cubes represent the last data from blockchain.info.
block from the blockchain which are mined on average

Fig. 1. An example of blockchain.info page which include documentation of Blockchain API

Fig. 2. An example of Bitbonkers visualization of blockchain.

2. Bitnodes This visualization by the same author of all the Bitcoin

Bitnodes shows the distribution of Bitcoin nodes across nodes and the node density. Although the network structure
the globe. It uses a Bitcoin crawler implemented in Python is not clearly visible, it really suggests that there is a new
(Figure 3). “universe” evolving in finance (Figure 4).

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 Fig. 3. An example of Bitnodes visualization of blockchain.

Fig. 4. An example of Bitnodes visualization of global bitcoin nodes.

3. BitcoinCity It receives information on the latest bitcoin transactions,

BitcoinCity idea was to graphically represent bitcoin mostly still unconfirmed, and draws a little city based on the
transactions. The city in the visualization is a bitcoin transaction info. It tries to display as much information as
transaction, on the road to the blockchain. Bitcoin City uses possible about the transaction, with a touch of randomness to
Blockchain.info web socket API as source of data and make each city as unique as possible.
Isomer as JavaScript graphics library.

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 Fig.5. An example of BitcoinCity visualization of blockchain.

4. Blockseer 5. DailyBlockchain
With Blockseer, we can visualize transactions and blocks The following visualization uses the open source
in a detailed tree diagram is more of a visual research tool vivagraph.js library to display the networked nature of
than a creative visualization of the Bitcoin universe (Figure Bitcoin. You can see Bitcoin transaction happening in
6). real-time and the evolving hubs of the Bitcoin network.

Fig. 6. An example of Blockseer visualization of blockchain.

Fig. 7. An example of DailyBlockchain visualization of blockchain.

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 6. Elliptic 7. Interaqt
This visualization “The Bitcoin Big Bang” by Elliptic is Interaqt attempt to visualize live Bitcoin transaction. Here
one of the most beautiful visualizations of Bitcoin history at the size of the nodes represents the volume of the transaction.
the moment. Every node also carries a link to all information on the
transaction on bitcoin.info.

Fig. 8. An example of Elliptic visualization of blockchain.

Fig. 9. An example of Interaqt visualization of blockchain.

8. Live Globe
B. Approach and Development Method
To show the global nature of Bitcoin, the following live- The approach and development method from each
map by Wizbit not only displays the transactions but also the blockchain visualization can be summarized as the table
latest discovered Bitcoin blocks. The WebGL globe below:
visualization is also available on Github.

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 Fig. 10. An example of Liveglobe visualization of blockchain.

TABLE I
BLOCKCHAIN VISUALIZATION METHODOLOGY

Name Visualization Method

Approach Visualization Programming / Library
Bitbonkers Network structure is not Cube  Last block from Three.js, Oimo.js
clearly visible blockchain.

The size in kilobytes

The size of the block its
Bitnodes Distribution of nodes around Bitcoin node Python
the globe
BitcoinCity City as Bitcoin transaction City as transaction, road as Isomer.js
blockchain
Blockseer Node as link to transaction Detailed tree diagram -
DailyBlockchain Network of Blockchain, Evolving Hub Vivagraph.js
Realtime transaction, evolving
hubs.
Elliptic History of Blockchain since Node  transaction -
the beginning of creation
Interaqt Live Bitcoin transaction Size of the node  Volume -
of transaction
Node  Link to transaction
LiveGlobe Transaction and latest Latest discovered WebGL
discovery Blockchain blocks

V. CONCLUSIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Through the study, we found that blockchain visualization We would like to thank STMIK Indonesia Padang for its
has been used to display transaction. The visualization was generous support. This research is funded by a 2017 grant
made with tree diagram, hub, and nodes, among others. The from STMIK Indonesia Padang.
programming language or libraries has been used to build
the blockchain visualization includes Python, WebGL, and
Javascript libraries among others.
There are many any other attempts that could be explored
to create a visualization with the public Blockchain APIs in
which many different steps of accessing, analysing and
interpreting Blockchain data are possible.

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