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Etherscan Reconfigures Blockchain Explorer Settings to Filter Out Potential Scams

Zero-token value transfers will no longer be visible by default as a way of preventing “address poisoning” hacks.

Updated Apr 10, 2023, 7:14 p.m. Published Apr 10, 2023, 6:58 p.m.

Etherscan has reconfigured its default blockchain viewing settings in a move to protect users against a common type of phishing scam, the company tweeted on Monday.

The blockchain explorer will now hide zero-value token transfer displays on its website by default. The setting aims to prevent users from becoming victims of "address poisoning" hacks, in which attackers send virtually valueless tokens to a user's wallet addresses to bait them into sending tokens to a scam address.

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"In recent times, address poisoning attacks have phished unsuspecting users and spammed everybody else," said Etherscan. "Preventing scams and attacks in a neutral and scalable way is an infinite cat-and-mouse game."

Zero-value token transfers have drained $19 million from victims' wallets between late November 2022 and Feb. 13, 2023, according to Coinbase. To view zero-value token transfers, users will have to disable the feature in the website's setting page.

Etherscan Scams

Elizabeth Napolitano

Elizabeth Napolitano was a data journalist at CoinDesk, where she reported on topics such as decentralized finance, centralized cryptocurrency exchanges, altcoins, and Web3. She has covered technology and business for NBC News and CBS News. In 2022, she received an ACP national award for breaking news reporting.