SnowTrace, a widely-used blockchain explorer tool on the Avalanche network, is set to discontinue its website on November 30, specifically the browsers powered by Etherscan's browser-as-a-service (EaaS) toolkit. While the SnowTrace team did not explicitly mention the reason for this shutdown, it is speculated that service fees for Etherscan's EaaS toolkit may have played a role. According to some reports, an annual EaaS subscription could cost anywhere from $1 million to $2 million.
Snowtrace users have been advised to safeguard their backup information, including private name tags and contact verification details, by November 30. The discontinuation of SnowTrace's Etherscan-powered browsers may impact users who rely on its features and data.
Mikko Ohtama, co-founder of Trading Strategy, expressed the need for decentralized smart contract verification, citing concerns over a private company's involvement in hosting source code. Etherscan, based in Malaysia, is highly regarded as a quality product, but there's a growing sentiment that critical aspects of blockchain infrastructure, such as smart contract verification, should not rely on private entities.
However, the head of strategy and operations at Ava Labs, Phillip Liu Jr., reassured the community by indicating that the protocol is evolving in a more favorable direction and will not be completely shutting down. Etherscan's EaaS service offers block explorers and API solutions for blockchain networks. Block explorers may be affected if users do not renew their EaaS service agreements, leading to potential bandwidth constraints and limited traffic.
In such cases, users have been advised to take necessary steps to secure their data, such as private name tags, transaction records, and contract verification details, before the shutdown takes effect on November 30. This development has raised discussions about the importance of maintaining critical blockchain infrastructure in a decentralized and reliable manner.
