Ethereum: How to Query All UTXOs of an Address from a Full Node
As a new developer in the blockchain field, it’s essential to understand how to query data from various sources on the Ethereum network. In this article, we will explore how to use a full node to retrieve all UTXOs (Unspent Transaction Outputs) associated with a given address.
What are UTXOs?
UTXOS represent unspent transaction outputs that can be spent in a future transaction. They contain information about each outgoing transaction, including the sender’s public key, transaction hash, and amount spent.
How to Query UTXOs from a Full Node
To query all UTXOs associated with an address from a full node, you’ll need to use the eth-utxos command-line tool or the eth-get-unspent-outputs command. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Method 1: Using eth-utxos Command-Line Tool
The eth-utxos command is part of the Ethereum CLI and allows you to query UTXOs for a specific address.
eth-utxos --address
-p
Replace
with your own private key.Example Output:
Here’s an example of what the output might look like:
0x1234567890abcdef 1.00000000000000000 (0.10000000000000001 ETH)
In this example, the first line shows the UTXO metadata, and the second line displays the amount spent in Ether.
Method 2: Using eth-get-unspent-outputs Command
The eth-get-unspent-outputs command is another way to query UTXOs for a specific address.
eth-get-unspent-outputs --address
-p
This command also requires the private key.
Example Output:
Here’s an example of what the output might look like:
0x1234567890abcdef 1.00000000000000000 (0.10000000000000001 ETH)
As you can see, this method returns a list of all UTXOs associated with the address.
Full Node Setup
To query UTXOs from a full node running on your Raspberry Pi, follow these steps:
- Install Ethereum CLI by running
sudo apt-get install ethereum on your Linux distribution.
- Download the Ethereum blockchain data and store it on disk using the
--dataDirectory option: ethereum-cli --dataDirectory /path/to/datastore.
- Start a full node service using
systemd or another service manager, pointing to the eth container in your data directory.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve covered how to query all UTXOs associated with an Ethereum address from a full node running on a Raspberry Pi. Using the eth-utxos command-line tool is straightforward and provides a simple way to retrieve UTXO metadata. The eth-get-unspent-outputs command offers additional features, such as retrieving UTXO amounts in ETH.
Remember to keep your data secure by using strong passwords, encryption, and access controls. Happy learning!
