Mean Block Size
- 1M1M
- 3M3M
- 6M6M
- 1Y1Y
- ALLALL
- LinearLinear
- LogLog
About this metric
What it measures
Mean Block Size divides the total byte size of blocks recorded each day by the number of blocks. It measures bytes per block, including witness data; 1,000,000 bytes equals 1 decimal MB.
How to read it
Larger blocks carry more data on average, but that data may be payments, witness data or other on-chain content. The daily mean reached about 2.52 MB on February 12, 2023, compared with about 1.14 MB on October 17, 2022, showing that bytes per block can change substantially.
Byte size is not block weight or a direct utilization percentage: SegWit discounts witness data when calculating weight. Data-heavy transactions can raise this average without a matching increase in payment count or transfer value, so compare it with fees, transaction count and daily blocks mined.
- Frequency
- Daily (UTC 00:00)
- Asset
- BTC
- Category
- Blocks & Outputs
- Type
- Single value
- Unit
- bytes
- Data since
- 2009-01-03
- Latest data
- 2026-10-27
- Data points
- 6,502
FAQ
How can the average Bitcoin block exceed 1 MB?
The post-SegWit limit is expressed as block weight, with witness bytes weighted differently from other bytes. A block’s full serialized size can therefore exceed 1 MB while staying within the weight limit.
Are block size bytes the same as virtual bytes?
No. Virtual bytes translate transaction weight into a fee-related size, while this chart measures the blocks’ byte size. They should not be substituted for one another when estimating fees.
Does a larger average block mean more payments?
Not necessarily. A few data-heavy transactions can add many bytes, and batching can place many payments in a single transaction. Use transaction and output counts to understand the activity mix.
