Documentation
Everything you need to know about using ChainDecode to analyze smart contracts and stay safe in Web3.
Quick Start
Step 1
Select Your Chain
Choose from Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, or Solana. Each chain has its own analysis pipeline optimized for that network’s smart contracts.
Step 2
Paste the Address
Enter any smart contract or token address. ChainDecode accepts standard EVM addresses (0x...) and Solana addresses (Base58 format).
Step 3
Read the Results
Get a plain-English breakdown of every function, a risk score from 0–100, security warnings, and market data — all explained without jargon.
Supported Chains
Ethereum
Full smart contract analysis with 14 specialized analyzers. Supports ERC20, ERC721, ERC1155, and ERC4626 tokens. Proxy contract detection and DeFi protocol recognition (Uniswap, Aave, Compound).
Polygon
Same comprehensive EVM analysis as Ethereum. Analyze bridged tokens, native contracts, and DeFi interactions on Polygon PoS.
Arbitrum
Full EVM analysis for Arbitrum One. Support for DeFi tokens, L2-native contracts, and cross-chain bridged assets.
Solana
SPL Token and Token-2022 analysis with the CSRS risk scoring system. Program upgradeability detection, authority tier classification, and behavioral signal tracking.
Understanding Your Analysis
Here's what you'll see after analyzing a smart contract.
Contract Overview
At the top of every analysis, you'll see the contract's name, type (such as ERC20 Token or NFT Collection), and verification status. Verified contracts have their source code publicly available, which makes them more transparent. For EVM contracts, ChainDecode also detects proxy contracts — contracts that delegate their logic to a separate implementation contract — and analyzes both layers automatically.
Risk Score
Every contract receives a risk score from 0 to 100. Lower scores mean lower risk.
0–30: The contract follows standard patterns with no significant red flags.
31–60: Some concerning patterns detected. Review the specific warnings before interacting.
61–100: Significant security concerns identified. Proceed with extreme caution.
For Solana tokens, ChainDecode uses the CSRS (ChainDecode Solana Risk Score), which combines authority status, Token-2022 extension analysis, and behavioral signals into a single 0–100 score.
Function-by-Function Breakdown
ChainDecode translates every smart contract function into plain English. Instead of seeing approve(address spender, uint256 amount), you'll read "Allows another contract to spend tokens on your behalf." Each function is tagged with a risk indicator so you can quickly spot which functions deserve closer attention.
On EVM chains, ChainDecode uses 14 specialized analyzers that recognize patterns from token standards (ERC20, ERC721), DeFi protocols (Uniswap, Aave), and governance systems. On Solana, instruction explanations include real-world analogies to help you understand what each operation does.
Security Insights
Beyond individual functions, ChainDecode generates contract-level insights — high-level security observations about the contract as a whole. These insights are categorized by severity:
- Critical: Immediate security concerns like honeypot patterns or unrestricted minting.
- Warning: Concerning patterns that could indicate risk, such as centralized admin control.
- Informational: Neutral observations about the contract's design and architecture.
Market Data
When available, ChainDecode displays live price data sourced from CoinGecko. You'll see the current price and 24-hour change for the contract's associated token. Market data refreshes automatically and is cached for 2 minutes to keep page loads fast.
Transaction History
ChainDecode shows recent transactions for the analyzed contract. On EVM chains, transactions are decoded using 23 known method signatures — so instead of raw hexadecimal data, you see human-readable labels like "Transfer", "Approve", or "Swap." On Solana, transaction history is provided through Solscan integration with instruction-level decoding. Each transaction includes a relative timestamp and a direct link to the block explorer.
ChainTerms Glossary
ChainDecode automatically detects blockchain terminology in analysis results and highlights those terms with interactive tooltips. Hover over (or tap on mobile) any highlighted term to see a plain-English definition. ChainTerms works across analysis results and documentation pages, so you'll always have definitions at your fingertips without leaving the page. There's no separate glossary to search — terms are explained right where they appear.
Wallet & Dashboard
Connect your EVM wallet (Ethereum, Polygon, or Arbitrum) to access the ChainDecode dashboard. The dashboard shows your token portfolio with risk levels at a glance, so you can quickly identify any concerning holdings.
- Portfolio overview — See all your tokens across connected chains with their current risk levels.
- Custom labels — Tag tokens with your own labels like "To Research" or "Safe" to organize your portfolio.
- Quick re-analysis — Open any token's analysis directly from the dashboard without re-entering the address.
- Focus Mode — Click "View Full Analysis" on any token to see the complete security breakdown.
Wallet connection is optional. You can analyze any contract without connecting a wallet — just visit the analysis page and paste an address.
Rate Limits & Usage
ChainDecode is free to use with no signup required. To keep the service available for everyone, analysis requests are subject to a daily limit per IP address. This limit resets at midnight UTC.
- No account needed — Just paste a contract address and go.
- reCAPTCHA verification — Each analysis request is verified to prevent automated abuse. This happens silently in the background.
- Cached results — If a contract was analyzed recently (within 24 hours), you'll get cached results instantly without using one of your daily requests.
- Dashboard usage — Connecting your wallet and browsing the dashboard does not consume analysis requests. Only clicking into a token's full analysis counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ChainDecode free?
Yes. ChainDecode is completely free to use with no signup, no account, and no payment required. You get 50 contract analyses per day. Results are cached for 24 hours, so revisiting a previously analyzed contract doesn't count against your limit.
Do I need to connect a wallet?
No. You can analyze any smart contract by simply pasting its address on the analysis page. Wallet connection is only needed if you want to use the dashboard to monitor your token portfolio. Analysis works the same way whether or not a wallet is connected.
Which blockchains are supported?
ChainDecode supports four blockchains: Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum (all EVM-compatible), plus Solana. Each chain has its own optimized analysis pipeline. See the Supported Chains section above for details on each chain's capabilities.
How are risk scores calculated?
ChainDecode's AI engine analyzes the contract's source code (or bytecode for unverified contracts) and examines function patterns, permission structures, and known vulnerability signatures. On EVM chains, 14 specialized analyzers check for token standard compliance, honeypot patterns, centralization risks, and more. On Solana, the CSRS scoring system combines authority status, Token-2022 extension analysis, and behavioral signals. The result is a score from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk).
Can I share my analysis results?
Yes. Every analysis has a unique shareable URL (like chaindecode.com/analysis/ethereum/0x...). You can copy this URL and send it to anyone — they'll see the same analysis results without needing an account or wallet.
Is my data private?
ChainDecode analyzes publicly available on-chain data. We do not store your wallet address or personal information. IP addresses are logged temporarily for rate limiting purposes only. See our Privacy Policy for complete details.
What does a blockchain term mean?
ChainDecode includes a built-in glossary called ChainTerms. When you're reading an analysis, blockchain-specific terms are automatically highlighted. Hover over any highlighted term to see a plain-English definition in a tooltip.
I found a bug or have feedback
We'd love to hear from you. Visit our Contact page to report issues, suggest features, or ask questions about ChainDecode.
Ready to analyze a contract?
Put your knowledge into practice. Paste any contract address and get a plain-English security analysis.
Analyze a Contract