A Bitcoin block at height 960,017, mined on July 28, 2026, contained no user transactions and generated zero fees for the miner. Only the mandatory coinbase reward was included. The mining entity remains officially unknown, though F2Pool is suspected by some observers.
Why Empty Blocks Appear Despite Fee Losses
When a new block is found, miners face a split-second decision: wait for the full validation of transactions in that block or start mining the next block immediately without them. Choosing the latter, known as SPV mining, results in an empty block that only includes the coinbase transaction. This strategy avoids wasting time and gives miners a better chance to claim the next block reward before competitors.
Empty Blocks Are Rare But Not Unheard Of
In Bitcoin’s early days, empty blocks made up over 10% of all mined blocks. Now, thanks to faster block propagation technologies like compact blocks and improved validation software, they drop below 1%. The recent empty block is not an isolated case. Earlier this year, SpiderPool mined an empty block at height 954,352 weighing just 1.16 kWU.
The lack of user transactions in a mined block typically signals low network demand at that moment or a race among miners prioritizing speed over fee collection. Despite this, Bitcoin’s price and market sentiment showed no immediate reaction to the empty block news on July 29, 2026.
This information is for educational purposes and is not financial advice.
