<p>You do need to keep a separately indexed database of the blockchain,</p>

<p><a href="http://live.insight.is/" rel="nofollow">insight.is</a> is a good place to start, </p>

<p>bitcoind would have to do an extensive rescan to answer that query.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-24T01:02:14.393Z
2014-05-24T01:02:14.393Z
user16928
<p>This may be a silly question, but I keep running in circles. Using either <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Original_Bitcoin_client/API_calls_list" rel="nofollow">bitcoind</a> or <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/API_reference_%28JSON-RPC%29" rel="nofollow">JSON-RPC</a> is there a way to search all transactions involving a address hash? I understand every wallet and most block explorer websites have this feature, but is it a native one I'm overlooking, or does everybody keep a separately indexed database off the blockchain?</p>

<p>I assume from the research I've done its #2, but given the size, history and Speed at which the blockchain updates building this database seems like it would take longer then actually downloading the blockchain. </p>

<p>Can someone please stear me in the correct direction so I'm not wasting the next 6 years rebuilding the wheel?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for the assistance. </p>

<transactions><wallet><blockchain><development><api>
Wallet programming, search transactions by address
Drazisil
# Wallet programming, search transactions by address

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-23)

This may be a silly question, but I keep running in circles. Using either [bitcoind](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Original_Bitcoin_client/API_calls_list) or [JSON-RPC](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/API_reference_%28JSON-RPC%29) is there a way to search all transactions involving a address hash? I understand every wallet and most block explorer websites have this feature, but is it a native one I'm overlooking, or does everybody keep a separately indexed database off the blockchain?

I assume from the research I've done its #2, but given the size, history and Speed at which the blockchain updates building this database seems like it would take longer then actually downloading the blockchain.

Can someone please stear me in the correct direction so I'm not wasting the next 6 years rebuilding the wheel?

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

**Tags:** transactions, wallet, blockchain, development, api


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-05-24. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

You do need to keep a separately indexed database of the blockchain,

[insight.is](http://live.insight.is/) is a good place to start,

bitcoind would have to do an extensive rescan to answer that query.


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