A little-known detail: the very first transaction on the Ethereum mainnet wasn't actually sent until block height 46147. That was in August 2015.
Why didn't it start from the Genesis block? The key factor is the Gas Limit. In the early days of Ethereum, the Gas Limit was set very low, making it impossible to include a regular transaction. The development team was gradually increasing this limit, raising it block by block. It wasn't until block 46147 that the Gas Limit exceeded 21,000—exactly the minimum Gas fee required for a standard transfer.
In other words, it was the first time there was enough space in a block to include a transaction. Who among the core developers was the first to seize this opportunity? Interesting, right? This buried-on-chain history from 10 years ago witnesses the critical moment when Ethereum went from zero to one.
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
18 Likes
Reward
18
6
Repost
Share
Comment
0/400
IntrovertMetaverse
· 01-08 12:46
Wow, 46147 is actually the first transaction? I always thought it started from 0. Learned something new.
View OriginalReply0
TrustMeBro
· 01-06 11:32
Wow, remember the number 46147, this is the real moment of creation.
View OriginalReply0
LiquidationTherapist
· 01-05 13:51
Wow, I really didn't notice this detail before. Feels like I've wasted all these years just looking at Ethereum.
View OriginalReply0
YieldWhisperer
· 01-05 13:46
Wow, you can only make transactions with 46147? That's such a detail, was early Ethereum this frustrating?
View OriginalReply0
BlockchainGriller
· 01-05 13:30
Haha, these details are really awesome. Early ETH was so frustrating, with the Gas limit bottleneck.
View OriginalReply0
GasFeeNightmare
· 01-05 13:30
Haha, I see now. Early Ethereum was really tight on funds...
---
Remember this number 46147, this is the first real Ethereum transaction
---
Wait, where did all the transactions between the genesis block and 46147 go? Fake?
---
Amazing, the Gas Limit setting was really started from scratch, no wonder the current fees are so outrageous
---
Damn, Vitalik and the others were really "fine-tuning" back then, not the kind of rapid iteration we thought
---
So the person who made the transaction in block 46147 probably doesn't even realize how special they are
---
These buried details are the most interesting part of the chain, more worth digging into than any news
---
Looking at the Gas history this way, from 21,000 to the current sky-high prices, it's truly a spiral upward
A little-known detail: the very first transaction on the Ethereum mainnet wasn't actually sent until block height 46147. That was in August 2015.
Why didn't it start from the Genesis block? The key factor is the Gas Limit. In the early days of Ethereum, the Gas Limit was set very low, making it impossible to include a regular transaction. The development team was gradually increasing this limit, raising it block by block. It wasn't until block 46147 that the Gas Limit exceeded 21,000—exactly the minimum Gas fee required for a standard transfer.
In other words, it was the first time there was enough space in a block to include a transaction. Who among the core developers was the first to seize this opportunity? Interesting, right? This buried-on-chain history from 10 years ago witnesses the critical moment when Ethereum went from zero to one.