What links blocks together in a blockchain?

Each block contains the hash of the previous block, creating an unbreakable chain.

What makes blockchain immutable?

The combination of cryptographic hashing and the chain structure makes altering past blocks computationally infeasible.

What is a Merkle Root?

The Merkle Root is a cryptographic summary of all transactions in a block, allowing efficient verification.

Understanding Blockchain

7 min readarticleIncludes quiz · 3 questions

The blockchain is a revolutionary technology that enables Bitcoin to function without a central authority. It's essentially a distributed database that maintains a continuously growing list of records, called blocks.

Key Components of a Block:

•Block Header: Contains metadata about the block
•Previous Block Hash: Links to the previous block
•Timestamp: When the block was created
•Nonce: A number used in mining
•Merkle Root: Summary of all transactions
•Transactions: The actual Bitcoin transfers

Why Blockchain Matters:

•Transparency: All transactions are visible
•Security: Cryptographically secured
•Decentralization: No single point of failure
•Immutability: Historical records cannot be changed
•Trustless: No need to trust intermediaries

Test Your Knowledge

This lesson includes a 3-question quiz (passing score: 75%).

Quiz functionality available in the mobile app.