Bitview bitcoin explorer with charts and an API
- Regulatory status
- Not a financial service
- Custody
- Not applicable
- Open source
- Yes
- Website
- https://bitview.space
- Status
- Active
Swiss angle
Bitview comes from the Bitcoin Research Kit project. The project repository, read on 4 October 2026, publishes it under the MIT licence and describes Bitview as the self-hostable application that turns a Bitcoin Core node into a local Bitcoin data platform. It reads public blockchain data and never touches your coins, so it is not a financial service.
No Swiss partner or office stands behind it. Bitview is a global tool and works the same in Zurich as anywhere else. The project site says the work is supported by OpenSats from December 2024 to June 2027.
What Bitview shows you is the chain itself: blocks, transactions, fees and the coins still unspent. The technical deep dive chapter explains what those pieces are, which makes the charts easier to read.
Who it is for
Curious readers who want more than a block explorer. The Bitview site, opened on 4 October 2026, has an explorer next to sections for charts, heatmaps and an API. The repository says the hosted website, API and MCP endpoint need no account or login.
Developers and researchers who want the numbers in code. The repository lists clients for JavaScript, Python and Rust and an MCP endpoint that an AI assistant can query, all read-only.
Node runners who want the data on their own machine. The project site sums it up as block files and mempool in, metrics, charts and API out, and the install is one command, cargo install --locked bitviewd. If you run a box such as Umbrel, Start9 or RaspiBlitz, you may already have the Bitcoin Core node it reads from, as long as it exposes RPC and the block files.
Who it is not for
Anyone who only wants to look up one transaction now and then. A plain explorer such as Esplora does that job with less on screen.
People with a small node. The repository says self-hosting needs Linux or macOS, a Bitcoin Core node with RPC and readable block files, about 290 GiB for Bitview on top of Bitcoin Core, and 16 GB of RAM recommended for a full sync.
Windows users who want to self-host. The repository names only Linux and macOS.
Anyone looking for a wallet. Bitview shows data and stores no keys; for holding bitcoin, see the wallets chapter.
Verified facts
| Source | Checked on |
|---|---|
| Bitview on GitHub | |
| Bitview, the free hosted Bitcoin Research Kit instance | |
| Bitcoin Research Kit (MIT, self-host, OpenSats) |
This directory carries no paid placements and no referral codes. No provider paid to be listed or to be described in a certain way. Each fact was checked against the primary source on the date shown next to it, and facts change after that date. This page is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.