Diminishing Returns, 2026 (From the transaction sculpture series)

Transaction sculptures consist of an arrangement of smart contracts that forward transactions to other contracts (or themselves) in unique ways. Every activation of a sculpture will yield a different result. All sculptures are unique and can be activated by anyone by sending a small amount of ETH to the address of the sculpture. Vertical lines represent contracts and horizontal lines represent the transfers between them. The complete visual arrangement is one transaction – the most recent one.

The piece "Diminishing Returns" consists of thirty-two contracts that forward transactions between each other. Each transfer wears down the connection it uses. With repeated use, the transactions tend to take shorter paths, while the amount of ETH sent through the sculpture is returned in full. Random changes can redirect connections or make worn-out ones usable again. The sculpture also decays with elapsed time, with this decay applied at the next activation.

Diminishing Returns is a unique work in the Transaction Sculptures series, begun in 2018. The work was developed in 2026 for An Exhibition of Auto-Destructive Art at NEORT++.