Welcome Bitcoin Crawler Beta App - EasyLayer's New Blockchain Tool

We're excited to announce the beta release of Bitcoin Crawler - EasyLayer's powerful new self-hosted application for monitoring and analyzing the Bitcoin blockchain! After months of development and internal testing, we're ready to share this tool with the community and gather your valuable feedback.

What is Bitcoin Crawler?

Bitcoin Crawler is a comprehensive blockchain monitoring solution that enables developers to track Bitcoin blockchain state both historically and in real-time. Built with modern architectural patterns including CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation) and Event Sourcing, it provides a robust foundation for building custom blockchain analytics and monitoring applications.

Key Features That Make It Special

🏠 Self-Hosted Architecture: Take full control over your deployment and customize the application to meet your specific needs. No reliance on third-party services - you own your data and infrastructure.

🔗 Flexible Connectivity: Works seamlessly with your own Bitcoin node or popular providers like QuickNode. Switch between different data sources without changing your code.

⚡ Real-time & Historical Processing: Process blockchain data from any block height with automatic blockchain reorganization support. Whether you need current data or want to analyze historical patterns, Bitcoin Crawler has you covered.

🛠 Custom Model Definition: Define your own data models using TypeScript/JavaScript. Create exactly the data structures you need for your specific use case.

📡 Multiple Transport Options: Access your data through HTTP RPC, WebSocket, TCP, or IPC protocols. Choose the transport that best fits your application architecture.

🗄 Database Flexibility: Choose between SQLite for easy setup or PostgreSQL for production environments. The application handles all the database management complexity for you.

Built for Performance and Reliability

Bitcoin Crawler is engineered for high-speed operation, with performance primarily influenced by network latency when fetching blocks and database insertion efficiency. The event-based architecture ensures consistent data processing even during blockchain reorganizations.

Getting Started is Simple

Installation takes just one command:

npm install @easylayer/bitcoin-crawler

Then bootstrap your application with a custom model:

import { bootstrap } from '@easylayer/bitcoin-crawler';
import Model from './model';

bootstrap({
  Models: [Model],
  rpc: true,
});

The modular design means you can start simple and add complexity as your needs grow. Whether you're building a portfolio tracker, payment processor, or blockchain analytics tool, Bitcoin Crawler provides the foundation you need.

Why We Built This

The Bitcoin ecosystem has grown tremendously, but developers still face significant challenges when building applications that need reliable blockchain data. Existing solutions are often expensive, limited in customization, or require extensive infrastructure setup.

Bitcoin Crawler bridges this gap by providing a professional-grade tool that's both powerful and accessible. It's designed for developers who need more than basic RPC calls but don't want to build everything from scratch.

Beta Phase - Your Feedback Matters

This beta release represents a major milestone, but we're just getting started. We've thoroughly tested Bitcoin Crawler internally, but real-world usage always reveals new opportunities for improvement.

We encourage you to:

• Download and test Bitcoin Crawler in your development environment
• Experiment with different models and use cases
• Share your experiences, both positive and challenging
• Suggest features that would make your blockchain development easier

What's Next?

Based on beta feedback, we'll be refining the API, improving performance, and adding new features. Some areas we're already exploring include support for other blockchain networks, enhanced querying capabilities, and additional database options.

Ready to Start Building?

Bitcoin Crawler Beta is available now on npm. Check out our comprehensive documentation for setup guides, API reference, and example implementations.

For detailed guidance on blockchain state monitoring patterns and best practices, be sure to read our companion article on "How to Listen to Blockchain State Changes" - it covers the architectural concepts and practical techniques that Bitcoin Crawler implements.

We can't wait to see what you build with Bitcoin Crawler. Download the beta today, start experimenting, and let us know what you think. Your feedback will help shape the future of this tool and make blockchain development more accessible for everyone.

Get started: npm install @easylayer/bitcoin-crawler

Documentation: Available in the package and our developer resources

Feedback: Share your experiences and suggestions with our development team

Happy building! 🚀