Rare occurrence of a single transaction in the block
The structure of Ethereum blocks is notoriously complex, each block contains many transactions and data. However, every 10 minutes, the new block is extracted in the Ethereum network, containing one or more transactions, as well as other important data, such as the block number, the temporal marker and the nonce.
In some cases, however, the block can only contain one transaction. This phenomenon has been observed in various cases and it is necessary to understand what causes a rare event.
Why a single transaction?
There are several reasons why the block can only contain one transaction:
- Transaction costs: If the network is crowded with high value transactions, the block minor can only choose one transaction instead of many smaller. This reduces the calculation cost associated with data processing and guarantees that the extraction process does not become too intense.
- Economic restrictions:
In some cases, a transaction may be more beneficial for the sender than a series of transactions, especially if the recipient is ready to accept a single payment or has limited funds.
- Network overload: When the network experiences a high level of overload due to increased activity in other blocks or problems with intelligent contract performance, the block minor can only choose A single transaction to avoid other delays or costs.
Blockchain.info observations
On the Blockchain Ethereum information platform, you can find a block with a single transaction (mining price) as follows:
This block is a reference point to observe extraordinary network behavior. It should be noted that this particular block does not necessarily indicate a problem with the Ethereum protocol or the blockchain itself.
Application
The occurrence of a single transaction in the block is relatively rare and serves as an interesting case study concerning how the Ethereum network is designed to balance complexity with efficiency. Although this may seem contrary to intuition so that the block contains only one transaction, understanding the basic causes of this phenomenon ensures a precious overview of the action of Ethereum blockchain.
Observation of these cases, programmers, researchers and users can be more deepened for the regulation mechanisms of complex networks and make conscious decisions concerning its behavior in various scenarios.
