Introduction to Blockchain Explorers
A blockchain explorer is an essential tool for anyone interacting with cryptocurrency networks. It acts as a search engine, allowing users to look up transaction details, wallet addresses, block information, and other on-chain data. For networks like Ethereum, these explorers provide transparency by making all public ledger data accessible. This analysis focuses on a specific Ethereum block to illustrate the kind of information available and how to interpret it.
Understanding block data is crucial for developers, investors, and researchers. It provides insights into network health, transaction fees, miner activity, and overall economic activity on the chain. This article will break down the key components of Ethereum block 22,612,087, mined on June 1, 2025.
Key Metrics of Ethereum Block 22,612,087
This block represents a single unit of data on the Ethereum blockchain, containing a record of multiple transactions. Let's examine its most important metrics.
Basic Block Information
- Block Height: 22,612,087
- Timestamp: Mined on June 01, 2025, at 07:59:59 UTC.
- Miner Address: The block was mined by an address that, at the time, was not associated with a known mining pool, labeled as "Unknown Miner."
- Hash: A unique 66-character identifier (e.g., 0x425...5097) that acts as a digital fingerprint for the block.
- Parent Hash: The hash of the previous block in the chain, ensuring the blocks are linked in chronological order.
Transaction and Value Data
This block was moderately active, containing a snapshot of economic movement on the network.
- Number of Transactions: 116 transactions were bundled into this block.
- Total Value Transferred: 10.0024 ETH, which was equivalent to approximately $25,272.17 at the time of mining.
- Average Transaction Value: 0.0862 ETH (~$217.86), suggesting a mix of both small and larger transfers.
- Internal Transactions: The block also processed 47 internal transactions, which are messages or function calls between smart contracts that don't always involve ETH transfer.
Miner Rewards and Fees
Miners (or validators, in Ethereum's Proof-of-Stake system) are incentivized to secure the network through rewards.
- Total Block Reward: The miner earned a total of 0.03011 ETH.
- Base Reward: This consists of newly minted ETH, which was 0.00960 ETH ($24.25) for this block.
- Fee Reward: The remaining 0.02051 ETH ($51.82) came from fees paid by users to have their transactions included. This is also known as the "priority fee."
Technical Specifications
- Gas Used: The block consumed 9,228,282 units of gas, which represents 25.68% of the total block capacity.
- Gas Limit: The maximum gas allowed per block was 35,929,691, indicating this block was not full.
- Difficulty: With Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake, the difficulty is now 0, as the energy-intensive mining process has been replaced by staking.
- Uncles: There were no uncle blocks referenced, which were previously a part of Ethereum's old mining mechanism.
How to Interpret This Data for Your Needs
The data from a single block can tell a broader story about the Ethereum network's state. For instance, the percentage of gas used indicates network demand. A consistently high gas usage percentage often correlates with higher transaction fees as users compete for block space.
For investors, tracking the average transaction value and volume can provide sentiment indicators. Developers might analyze contract interactions from internal transactions. ๐ Explore more strategies for analyzing on-chain data to gain a deeper understanding of market trends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a blockchain explorer?
A blockchain explorer is an online tool that allows you to browse all activity on a cryptocurrency's public ledger. You can view transactions, wallet balances, smart contract interactions, and details of individual blocks, like the one analyzed here.
Why did the miner receive two different rewards?
The total reward is split into two parts: a base reward of newly issued cryptocurrency and a fee reward from the transactions included in the block. The fee reward is paid by users to prioritize their transactions.
What does "Gas Used" mean?
Gas is a unit that measures the computational effort required to execute operations on the Ethereum network. "Gas Used" shows the total amount of computational work needed to process all transactions in that specific block.
What are internal transactions?
Internal transactions are triggered by smart contracts. When a function within a contract is called, it can lead to further actions or value transfers behind the scenes. These are recorded separately from standard transactions.
How can I use this information?
This data is valuable for conducting due diligence, researching transaction histories, auditing smart contract activity, and understanding network congestion and fee markets. It is the foundation of transparent blockchain analytics.
Is the value shown the current value?
No, the "Sent" value shows the worth in USD at the exact time the block was mined. The "Value Today" field calculates what that same amount of ETH would be worth at the time you are viewing the block, which can be higher or lower due to market price fluctuations.