Shielded Live: Namada Blockchain Explorer

The Challenge

Namada, a privacy-focused blockchain built on Cosmos SDK, was approaching its public testnet launch without a critical piece of infrastructure: a block explorer. For any new blockchain, explorers serve as the primary interface between the network and its users, validators, and developers.

Ecosystem Bootstrap Problem: Without an explorer, users couldn't verify transactions, validators couldn't monitor their nodes, and developers couldn't debug their applications. The lack of visibility was a blocker for community growth and testnet participation.

Privacy-Aware Complexity: Namada's unique privacy architecture - featuring shielded transactions, unified asset pools, and novel governance mechanisms - meant existing explorer templates wouldn't work. The explorer needed to respect privacy properties while still providing useful network visibility.

Timeline Pressure: The testnet launch date was fixed. The ecosystem needed a functional, reliable explorer ready for day-one users - not a minimum viable product, but a polished tool that would represent the network well.

Ongoing Evolution: As a pre-mainnet blockchain, Namada's protocol was still evolving. The explorer needed to accommodate breaking changes, new features, and protocol upgrades without constant rebuilding.

"It's truly a great experience to work with such a committed and professional team. Key tools like Undexer and Fadroma have been and are being used by other developers and builders nowadays."

• Daniel, Mandragora Validators

Our Approach

We approached Shielded Live as more than a typical explorer project - it needed to be a foundational piece of Namada's developer and user infrastructure.

Full-Stack Ownership

Rather than using generic explorer frameworks, we built Shielded Live from the ground up to match Namada's specific requirements:

• Custom data ingestion tailored to Namada's transaction types
• Purpose-built UI components for privacy-preserving display
• Direct integration with our Undexer indexing service

Privacy-First Design Philosophy

Traditional explorers show everything. For a privacy chain, we needed to rethink what "transparency" means:

Data Type	Visibility Approach
Block headers	Fully public
Validator info	Public (staking is transparent)
Governance proposals	Public (democratic participation)
Shielded transactions	Metadata only (privacy preserved)
User balances	Not displayed (respects privacy)

Rapid Iteration Capability

Knowing the protocol would evolve, we built for change:

• Modular component architecture
• Schema-driven data models
• Feature flags for protocol upgrades

The Solution

Shielded Live provides comprehensive network visibility while respecting Namada's privacy guarantees.

Core Features

Network Dashboard

• Real-time block production monitoring
• Network health metrics and statistics
• Epoch and staking period tracking
• Token supply and distribution overview

Block & Transaction Explorer

• Block details with transaction listings
• Transaction search by hash
• Support for Namada's various transaction types
• Appropriate handling of shielded vs. transparent data

Validator Hub

• Complete validator set with performance metrics
• Voting power distribution
• Commission rates and delegation info
• Historical performance tracking

Governance Center

• Active and past proposals
• Voting status and participation metrics
• Proposal details and discussion links
• Outcome tracking and execution status

Staking Information

• Epoch boundaries and timing
• Staking parameters and rewards
• Delegation interfaces
• Unbonding period tracking

Technical Architecture

Frontend Stack

• Next.js: Server-side rendering for performance and SEO
• TypeScript: Type safety across the codebase
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach for accessibility

Backend Integration

• Undexer: Our custom indexing service provides the data layer
• REST API: Clean interface between frontend and indexed data
• Real-time Updates: WebSocket connections for live data

Infrastructure

• Docker: Containerized deployment for consistency
• Node.js: Server runtime
• Nginx: Reverse proxy and static asset serving

Development Timeline

Phase	Duration	Deliverables
Discovery	1 week	Requirements gathering, Namada protocol analysis
Architecture	1 week	System design, API contracts, UI wireframes
Development	2 weeks	Core features, integration with Undexer
Polish & Launch	1 week	UI refinement, testing, deployment

Team: 3 developers (1 full-stack lead, 1 frontend specialist, 1 backend/infra)

Total Duration: 4 weeks from kickoff to production

Results

Delivered Capabilities

Feature	Status
Block Explorer	Full visibility with privacy awareness
Transaction Search	Multi-type support including shielded metadata
Validator Dashboard	Complete with performance metrics
Governance Tracking	Proposals, voting, outcomes
Staking Info	Epochs, rewards, delegation data
Mobile Support	Responsive design for all devices

Performance Metrics

• Page Load: Sub-second initial render
• Data Freshness: Real-time updates within blocks
• Uptime: Maintained throughout testnet operations

Ecosystem Impact

Shielded Live became a central resource for Namada's testnet community:

• Primary interface for users verifying transactions
• Essential tool for validators monitoring their operations
• Reference implementation for Namada's data structures

Ongoing Development

The project continues to evolve alongside Namada's protocol:

• Regular updates to support protocol changes
• New features based on community feedback
• Performance optimizations as network grows

Live at: shielded.live

Technologies Used

Next.js TypeScript Node.js Docker Nginx REST API WebSockets Namada SDK