Recent OP_RETURN output statistics

During this timeframe, there were a total of 24,362,310 transactions that utilized OP_RETURN outputs, with a negligible difference noted in the count of individual OP_RETURN outputs which stood slightly higher at 24,363,011. This minor discrepancy points towards the rarity of transactions incorporating multiple OP_RETURN outputs, a mere 61 instances to be exact, one of which notably included 91 OP_RETURN outputs, as seen in a specific transaction.

A further detailed examination into these transactions reveals that 396 of them had OP_RETURN scriptPubKey sizes exceeding the 83 bytes threshold, including 42 transactions that contained multiple outputs. Specifically, one transaction was highlighted for having a cumulative 1393 bytes across its outputs, yet the largest single output only accounted for 66 bytes. The distribution of OP_RETURN data sizes is significantly skewed, indicating that while half of the transactions carried less than 210 bytes of data, the remaining transactions exceeded this amount. A particularly interesting find is that 10% of the transactions contained more than 10kB of OP_RETURN data, showcasing a broad variance in how OP_RETURN outputs are utilized across different transactions.

The study also quantifies the volume of OP_RETURN data throughout the analyzed period to be approximately 473,815,552 bytes. It brings to light that transactions with large OP_RETURN payloads, although representing only 0.44% of the total usage by byte size, exhibited a stark contrast when considering their share by transaction count, which stood at a minuscule 0.0016%. This highlights an interesting dynamic where a small fraction of transactions disproportionately contribute to the overall space used by OP_RETURN outputs.

Additionally, the research identifies 34,283 transactions that resulted in the burning of satoshis through OP_RETURN outputs, cumulatively totaling to 1,463,488 satoshis. The most significant burn recorded destroyed 69,630 satoshis in a single transaction. An intriguing observation was the identification of a unique transaction that both burned funds and contained an OP_RETURN data size exceeding 83 bytes. Furthermore, the study notes that a substantial number of transactions, specifically 949,003, had OP_RETURN data sizes within the range of 43 to 83 bytes. Conversely, a vast majority of transactions, numbered at 23,412,911, adhered to the data size limit of 42 bytes or less as set by Knots prior to its version 29.2 release.

For further in-depth reading and analysis, the report has been published online and can be accessed via mempool.space. Similar analyses have been conducted by other researchers as well, with findings available through social media platforms such as Twitter and Dune, showcasing the collaborative and open nature of blockchain research within the community.