Blockchain explorer SnowTrace to shut down amid Etherscan fee controversy

The popular blockchain explorer tool for Avalanche, SnowTrace, is set to shut down its website, stirring up controversy over Etherscan’s annual subscription fees.

📢 The instance of Snowtrace by @etherscan will be discontinued on 30th November (00:00 UTC)

Thank you @avax and the community for the last 2 years of support and we wish you the best moving forward 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WdBOzIWOz9

— Snowtrace.io (@SnowTraceHQ) October 30, 2023

SnowTrace, powered by Etherscan’s Explorer-as-a-Service (EaaS) toolkit, will cease operations on November 30. The SnowTrace team has urged users to save backup information such as private name tags and contact verification details prior to the shutdown.

While the reason for the shutdown wasn’t explicitly stated, speculation points towards Etherscan’s EaaS service fees. Mikko Ohtama, co-founder of Trading Strategy, stated that an annual subscription to EaaS could cost between $1 and $2 million.

Phillip Liu Jr., head of strategy and operations at Ava Labs, commented that the protocol is “moving onto something better” and categorically denied ceasing operations.

Etherscan’s EaaS service provides blockchains with a block explorer and API solution at a cost. Reasons for discontinuation of a block explorer could include non-renewal of an EaaS service agreement, limited bandwidth, or insufficient traffic.

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