<p>Blockchain.info has an interesting pie-chart showing the <a href="https://blockchain.info/pools" rel="nofollow noreferrer">origin of blocks</a>.  On that page, they specifically note:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A large portion of Unknown blocks does not mean an attack on the network, it simply means we have been unable to determine the origin.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Blocks do not <em>need</em> to contain any identifying factors.  The miner can choose to provide a script in the coinbase of a new block that can be used to identify the source of the block, however they are not required to do so.  Another method that can be used to identify the source of a new block would be the target address for outputs of the new coins included in the block; if the address is well-known, then you can be almost certain the owner of that address mined the block in question.  </p>

<p>"Anonymous" blocks are simply that, anonymous, in that they have no identifying characteristics.</p>

<p><a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/42790/who-mined-the-infamous-block-364422/42791">This question</a> and the answers have some interesting details as a side-effect of trying to identify who mined a specific block.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-05T20:48:48.607Z
2018-02-05T20:48:48.607Z
Hannah Vernon
<p>I was going through blocks on Block explorer and I saw that some of the blocks were containing the miner's name and some were not. What is the reason behind this?</p>

<p>See this <a href="https://blockexplorer.com/block/00000000000000000007c516456e9c4c302c4fef3fd6b534f0b6f7ab103a940a" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sample block</a> for an example. </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KY6GJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KY6GJ.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<block><blockexplorer>
Why do some blocks not have Miner's name/identity?
Varad Bhatnagar
# Why do some blocks not have Miner's name/identity?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-05)

I was going through blocks on Block explorer and I saw that some of the blocks were containing the miner's name and some were not. What is the reason behind this?

See this [sample block](https://blockexplorer.com/block/00000000000000000007c516456e9c4c302c4fef3fd6b534f0b6f7ab103a940a) for an example.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/KY6GJ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/KY6GJ.png)

**Tags:** block, blockexplorer


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-02-05. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Blockchain.info has an interesting pie-chart showing the [origin of blocks](https://blockchain.info/pools). On that page, they specifically note:

> A large portion of Unknown blocks does not mean an attack on the network, it simply means we have been unable to determine the origin.

Blocks do not *need* to contain any identifying factors. The miner can choose to provide a script in the coinbase of a new block that can be used to identify the source of the block, however they are not required to do so. Another method that can be used to identify the source of a new block would be the target address for outputs of the new coins included in the block; if the address is well-known, then you can be almost certain the owner of that address mined the block in question.

"Anonymous" blocks are simply that, anonymous, in that they have no identifying characteristics.

[This question](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/42790/who-mined-the-infamous-block-364422/42791) and the answers have some interesting details as a side-effect of trying to identify who mined a specific block.


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