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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: funkenstein on January 20, 2015, 07:43:26 PM



Title: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: funkenstein on January 20, 2015, 07:43:26 PM
I just saw 5 blocks in a row (339795 - 339800) all with size 731.6.

Looking through the recent history I see that is a popular size for blocks.  

Can anybody explain this for me ?   Thanks!

-- funkenstein the dwarf


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: doof on January 20, 2015, 11:05:49 PM
I just saw 5 blocks in a row (339795 - 339800) all with size 731.6.

Looking through the recent history I see that is a popular size for blocks.  

Can anybody explain this for me ?   Thanks!

-- funkenstein the dwarf

I am build a website to allow such queries, its still only pre alpha www.querytheblockcha.in

You can search for that via this SQL Query SELECT * FROM Bitcoin.Blocks where length > 731000 and length < 732000 (http://www.querytheblockcha.in/blockchain/bitcoin?query=SELECT%20*%20FROM%20Bitcoin.Blocks%20where%20length%20between%20731000%20and%20732000)

NB:  It is a few days behind, I havent imported the lastest blocks


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: funkenstein on January 20, 2015, 11:29:27 PM


I am build a website to allow such queries, its still only pre alpha www.querytheblockcha.in

You can search for that via this SQL Query SELECT * FROM Bitcoin.Blocks where length > 731000 and length < 732000 (http://www.querytheblockcha.in/blockchain/bitcoin?query=SELECT%20*%20FROM%20Bitcoin.Blocks%20where%20length%20between%20731000%20and%20732000)

NB:  It is a few days behind, I havent imported the lastest blocks

Nice project!

Well I can see from querying your site that this is a new phenomenon, as I don't see an unusual amount of these long ago. 

I am still scratching my beard over this.  The blocks are not from a single pool.  There are way too many blocks of this size for this to be a coincidence.  Maybe the pools are sharing some mining software which does something (?) which prefers blocks of this size. 

15 of the last 50 blocks are 731.6 kB.   I would love to know why. 




Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: eleuthria on January 20, 2015, 11:31:36 PM
731.6 * 1024 ~= 750,000 bytes [slightly less, but it's hard to make a block exactly 750,000 bytes].  It's a set of pools which set their maximum block size to 750000.


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: doof on January 20, 2015, 11:45:48 PM


I am build a website to allow such queries, its still only pre alpha www.querytheblockcha.in

You can search for that via this SQL Query SELECT * FROM Bitcoin.Blocks where length > 731000 and length < 732000 (http://www.querytheblockcha.in/blockchain/bitcoin?query=SELECT%20*%20FROM%20Bitcoin.Blocks%20where%20length%20between%20731000%20and%20732000)

NB:  It is a few days behind, I havent imported the lastest blocks

Nice project!

Well I can see from querying your site that this is a new phenomenon, as I don't see an unusual amount of these long ago. 

I am still scratching my beard over this.  The blocks are not from a single pool.  There are way too many blocks of this size for this to be a coincidence.  Maybe the pools are sharing some mining software which does something (?) which prefers blocks of this size. 

15 of the last 50 blocks are 731.6 kB.   I would love to know why. 




Thanks, there is still a fair bit to do to make it beta.  Performance is an issue, but I've got a SQL consultant helping me index.


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: ensurance982 on January 21, 2015, 12:22:50 AM
Huh, interesting. Yeah I don't know all the previous maximum block sizes by heart, but it seems to be a wise choice to limit your block sizes. Keep in mind that the larger a block gets, the longer it takes to be transmitted, thus decreasing your chances of it entering the blockchain and receiving the block reward.


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: funkenstein on January 21, 2015, 03:01:04 AM
731.6 * 1024 ~= 750,000 bytes [slightly less, but it's hard to make a block exactly 750,000 bytes].  It's a set of pools which set their maximum block size to 750000.

Thanks for this, and also ensurance982. 

I guess the fees just aren't worth the extra time it takes to calculate the merkle tree and transmit the extra bits.  Perhaps the only new takeaway from this is how many pools (and "unknown" pools / miners) share the same code. 


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: darkfur93 on January 21, 2015, 04:16:16 AM
The default maximum block size is set to 750000 bytes.
This can be changed in Bitcoin Core by -blockmaxsize=<n>

The minimum block size can be changed as well -blockminsize=<n> The default is 0.


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: ticoti on January 21, 2015, 05:28:43 AM
a block contains information of transactions of bitcoins and that information occupy space


Title: Re: 731.6 kB.. what does it mean?
Post by: PaulPierce on January 24, 2015, 01:56:50 PM
a block contains information of transactions of bitcoins and that information occupy space

yup it contains data..n the data takes up some space!