<p>Mining was first, as you say, there had to be bitcoins to transact which must have come from mining blocks. The key is, that blocks can be empty. Most early blocks were. And even some blocks now are mined empty, e.g. this one: <a href="https://blockchain.info/block/0000000000000000005afd87cdbb34e8126674766c261619044c4c213286d72b" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://blockchain.info/block/0000000000000000005afd87cdbb34e8126674766c261619044c4c213286d72b</a></p>

<p>Blocks always contain a Coinbase transaction which pays the reward to the miner regardless of whether there are any other transactions to mine or not.</p>

<p>The incentive for miners to include other transactions in blocks rather than leave them empty is the transaction fees.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-25T08:30:58.977Z
'Empty block'. That what I needed. And to "blocks always contain a Coinbase transaction', can you put me to a link or elaborate this? Do you mean Coinbase exchange?
Vicyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-25T08:57:07.257Z
The coinbase transaction in a block refers to the newly minted coins, which are a reward the miner may claim for finding the block. There is also a business called coinbase, but they have no relation beyond the name.
chytrik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-25T08:58:03.043Z
No, coinbase exchange is completely unrelated. https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/4571/51948
meshcollider
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-25T07:10:22.467Z
2017-12-25T07:10:22.467Z
meshcollider
<p>I have been thinking for a while and can't really figure this out..</p>

<p>From my understanding, in Bitcoin network, 'bitcoins' are created when a miner successfully mines a transaction. So this means in order for the network to create a bitcoin, there has to be something to be mined and that something is transaction.</p>

<p>But what I also read, the first transaction was from Satoshi to Hal where Satoshi transferred 10 BTC to Hal. How is the possible since to create 10 BTC, they had to do mining previously which can only be done on previous transaction which makes this transaction not first.. Circular.</p>

<p>Or is it the genesis bitcoin was created without mining? Could be the case, but I am not able to find a reference to that.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-25T07:11:19.753Z
The first block is the Genesis block which starts with reward which is typically sent somewheres. Must of been sent to Hal. So I guess the transaction came first which was sending the mining reward. The next block required mining.
marshal craft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-25T08:58:36.940Z
^ this is incorrect. In fact the genesis block coins are not able to be spent. The first transaction was sent to Hal, but I believe that was not until ~block 9.
chytrik
<transactions><mining-reward>
What came first, transaction or mining?
Vicyan
# What came first, transaction or mining?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-25)

I have been thinking for a while and can't really figure this out..

From my understanding, in Bitcoin network, 'bitcoins' are created when a miner successfully mines a transaction. So this means in order for the network to create a bitcoin, there has to be something to be mined and that something is transaction.

But what I also read, the first transaction was from Satoshi to Hal where Satoshi transferred 10 BTC to Hal. How is the possible since to create 10 BTC, they had to do mining previously which can only be done on previous transaction which makes this transaction not first.. Circular.

Or is it the genesis bitcoin was created without mining? Could be the case, but I am not able to find a reference to that.

**Tags:** transactions, mining-reward

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The first block is the Genesis block which starts with reward which is typically sent somewheres. Must of been sent to Hal. So I guess the transaction came first which was sending the mining reward. The next block required mining.  
> **username_2**: ^ this is incorrect. In fact the genesis block coins are not able to be spent. The first transaction was sent to Hal, but I believe that was not until ~block 9.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Mining was first, as you say, there had to be bitcoins to transact which must have come from mining blocks. The key is, that blocks can be empty. Most early blocks were. And even some blocks now are mined empty, e.g. this one: <https://blockchain.info/block/0000000000000000005afd87cdbb34e8126674766c261619044c4c213286d72b>

Blocks always contain a Coinbase transaction which pays the reward to the miner regardless of whether there are any other transactions to mine or not.

The incentive for miners to include other transactions in blocks rather than leave them empty is the transaction fees.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 'Empty block'. That what I needed. And to "blocks always contain a Coinbase transaction', can you put me to a link or elaborate this? Do you mean Coinbase exchange?  
> **username_2**: The coinbase transaction in a block refers to the newly minted coins, which are a reward the miner may claim for finding the block. There is also a business called coinbase, but they have no relation beyond the name.  
> **username_3**: No, coinbase exchange is completely unrelated. https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/4571/51948  

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