Install a Self-Hosted Instance | OpenScan.AI - Your Guide to the AI-Powered Blockchain Explorer

Install an OpenScan.AI explorer instance, verify it’s running, and complete the first-time setup.

This guide walks you through installing with Docker, Docker Compose, or from source.

All-in-one Docker container

The fastest way to try a self-hosted instance. Requires Docker 24+ and a reachable JSON-RPC endpoint.

docker run -d --name openscan \
  -p 4000:4000 \
  -e ETHEREUM_JSONRPC_HTTP_URL="http://host.docker.internal:8545" \
  -e ETHEREUM_JSONRPC_TRACE_URL="http://host.docker.internal:8545" \
  -e CHAIN_ID="50" \
  -e COIN="XDC" \
  ghcr.io/openscanai/openscan:latest

The container bundles PostgreSQL, the indexer, the API server, and the frontend. Open http://localhost:4000 — indexing begins immediately and the UI fills in as blocks are imported.

Check progress:

curl http://localhost:4000/api/v2/main-page/indexing-status

Docker Compose (recommended)

Compose separates the database from the application, which makes upgrades and backups cleaner.

git clone https://github.com/OpenScanAI/blockscout.git
cd blockscout/docker-compose
cp envs/common-blockscout.env.example envs/common-blockscout.env

Edit envs/common-blockscout.env and set at minimum:

ETHEREUM_JSONRPC_HTTP_URL=http://your-rpc-endpoint:8545
ETHEREUM_JSONRPC_TRACE_URL=http://your-rpc-endpoint:8545
CHAIN_ID=50
COIN=XDC

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f backend

Services started: db (PostgreSQL), backend (indexer + API on :4000), frontend (UI on :3000), and a reverse proxy on :80.

Verify:

curl http://localhost/api/v2/stats

From source

For development or customization. See the full toolchain requirements in Backend & Indexer Setup.

git clone https://github.com/OpenScanAI/blockscout.git
cd blockscout

# Backend
mix deps.get
mix ecto.create && mix ecto.migrate
mix phx.server

The API listens on http://localhost:4000. To run the frontend alongside it:

git clone https://github.com/OpenScanAI/frontend.git
cd frontend
cp .env.example .env.local
# Point NEXT_PUBLIC_API_HOST at your local backend
npm install && npm run dev

The UI is available at http://localhost:3000.

First-time checklist

After any install method:

Indexing status — GET /api/v2/main-page/indexing-status should show progress, not an error.
Stats endpoint — GET /api/v2/stats returns chain counters once the first blocks land.
UI loads — the home page shows recent blocks streaming in.
RPC health — the backend logs show no repeating JSON-RPC errors; if they appear, check ETHEREUM_JSONRPC_HTTP_URL.

Next steps

Configuration — full environment variable reference
Connecting to a Network — RPC endpoints for supported chains
Production Deployment — TLS, proxying, and scaling