Cardano - Rosetta, block method and "other_transactions"

When retrieving block data from the Cardano Rosetta API (getBlock method), you might encounter a scenario where transaction details are not fully included within the block response. Instead, you'll see transaction hashes listed under a property called other_transactions.

This is intentional behavior within the Rosetta API specification.

What does "other_transactions" mean?

In Rosetta, transactions within a block can be:

• Fully populated (transactions): Including all details such as operations and inputs/outputs.
• Partially referenced (other_transactions): Only transaction hashes are listed, requiring a separate request to obtain full details.

This differentiation clearly signals that additional steps are necessary to retrieve complete transaction details.

When might this occur?

This typically occurs with blocks containing numerous or large transactions. To maintain API performance and manage response payload size, transaction details are sometimes omitted from the initial /block response.

Example of a Block with other_transactions:

curl --location 'https://cardano-mainnet.gateway.tatum.io/block' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'x-api-key: {YOUR_API_KEY}' \
--data '{
    "network_identifier": {
        "blockchain": "cardano",
        "network": "mainnet"
    },
    "block_identifier": {
        "index": 4813942
    }
}'
//Response:
{
  "block": {
    "block_identifier": {
      "index": 4813942,
      "hash": "00e598f6af682b97c0d8ba1c55e8827bffbf4e7ee98c69c33c0f9b3eb3dbbd91"
    },
    "parent_block_identifier": {
      "index": 4813941,
      "hash": "9df52f23aceb308181293ec66e41920f30aff6f65d60f52200cdc26a4a2dd761"
    },
    "timestamp": 1602603107000,
    "transactions": [],
    "other_transactions": [
      {"hash":"dda15a9a05986a2838a78fbc0fbb7e107bd3d0effb34458e226710aa22bab02f"},
      {"hash":"ee8029e55267e116416193111fa0a79ccadfd06da2b991aab7beaf148d790112"}
      // Additional hashes omitted for brevity
    ]
  }
}

How to Fetch "other_transactions"

To retrieve detailed information for transactions listed in other_transactions, perform the following:

1. Identify the Transaction Hash
   Extract the hash from other_transactions.
   For example: dda15a9a05986a2838a78fbc0fbb7e107bd3d0effb34458e226710aa22bab02f
2. Call the /block/transaction method
   Make a request to the getBlockTransaction method, providing the block identifier and transaction hash:
   cURL

   curl --location 'https://cardano-mainnet.gateway.tatum.io/block/transaction' \
   --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
   --header 'x-api-key: {YOUR_API_KEY}' \
   --data '{
       "network_identifier": {
           "blockchain": "cardano",
           "network": "mainnet"
       },
       "block_identifier": {
           "index": "4813942",
           "hash": "00e598f6af682b97c0d8ba1c55e8827bffbf4e7ee98c69c33c0f9b3eb3dbbd91"
       } ,
       "transaction_identifier": {
           "hash": "dda15a9a05986a2838a78fbc0fbb7e107bd3d0effb34458e226710aa22bab02f"
       }
   }'
   //Response:
   {
       "transaction": {
           "transaction_identifier": {
               "hash": "dda15a9a05986a2838a78fbc0fbb7e107bd3d0effb34458e226710aa22bab02f"
           },
           "operations": [
               {
                   "operation_identifier": {
                       "index": 0
                   },
                   "type": "input",
                   "status": "success",
                   "account": {
                       "address": "addr1qxl4zjds72w4esknewzcf38xwdcm2mh4dc6m4frtw5fy509y5qzeteckh6sxchwcn7j8ygevmgf8qvq4r0uevlte82rsyt8ss0"
                   },
    // additional operations omitted
   

3. Retrieve The Transaction Data
   You'll receive a detailed response containing inputs, outputs, and other transaction-specific information.

Additional Resources

• Cardano Rosetta Documentation