Blockchain Technology
Archive Node
Archive Node is a node retaining historical state needed for deep historical queries.
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Blockchain Technology Terms
Blocks, consensus, explorers, on-chain vs off-chain data, and network transparency concepts.
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65 published definitions in this topic.
Blockchain Technology
Bitcoin Improvement Proposal
Bitcoin Improvement Proposal is a design document process for proposing Bitcoin protocol or process changes.
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Block
Block is a batch of transactions plus header metadata appended to a blockchain.
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Block Header
Block Header is metadata in a block including previous hash, merkle root, and consensus fields.
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Block Height
Block Height is the sequence number of a block counting from the genesis block.
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Block Propagation
Block Propagation is the spread of newly found blocks across the peer-to-peer network.
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Block Reward
Block Reward is newly issued coins and/or fees awarded for producing a valid block under protocol rules.
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Blockchain
Blockchain is a chained sequence of blocks that records transactions using cryptographic links and consensus.
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Blockchain Bridge
Blockchain Bridge is infrastructure that moves or represents assets across chains, often a high-value attack target.
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Byzantine Fault Tolerance
Byzantine Fault Tolerance is the ability of a system to keep agreeing despite some faulty or malicious participants.
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Canonical Chain
Canonical Chain is the chain history honest nodes treat as authoritative under consensus rules.
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Chain Reorganization
Chain Reorganization is when nodes switch to a heavier/longer valid chain, potentially displacing recent blocks.
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Checkpoint
Checkpoint is a marked ledger point used to speed sync or define finality boundaries in some designs.
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Consensus Layer
Consensus Layer is the portion of a modular stack that agrees on block ordering and finality.
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Consensus Mechanism
Consensus Mechanism is the method validators or miners use to agree on the next valid ledger state.
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Cross-Chain Message
Cross-Chain Message is data passed between chains through bridges or messaging protocols with trust assumptions.
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Cryptographic Hash Function
Cryptographic Hash Function is a one-way function producing fixed-size digests used to link blocks and detect tampering.
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Cryptographic Nonce
Nonce is a number varied during mining or used once in cryptographic protocols.
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Cryptographic Signature
Cryptographic Signature is a mathematical proof that a private key authorized a message or transaction.
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Data Availability
Data Availability is assurance that transaction data needed to verify state is accessible to participants.
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Deterministic Finality
Deterministic Finality is protocol rules that mark a block finalized once specific validator thresholds are met.
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Difficulty
Difficulty is a network parameter controlling how hard it is to find a valid proof-of-work solution.
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Elliptic Curve Cryptography
Elliptic Curve Cryptography is the public-key mathematics commonly used for crypto address keypairs.
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Ethereum Virtual Machine
Ethereum Virtual Machine is a widely used smart-contract execution model and bytecode environment.
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Execution Layer
Execution Layer is the portion of a modular stack that executes transactions and updates state.
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Finality
Finality is the point after which a transaction is considered practically irreversible under a protocol’s rules.
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Fraud Proof
Fraud Proof is evidence used in optimistic systems to challenge an invalid state assertion.
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Full Node
Full Node is a node that verifies transactions and blocks according to consensus rules.
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Genesis Block
Genesis Block is the first block of a blockchain from which height counting begins.
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Hard Fork
Hard Fork is a non-backward-compatible rule change that can permanently split chains if not universally adopted.
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Hash
Hash is the output digest of a hash function, often shown as a hex string in explorers.
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Layer One Blockchain
Layer One Blockchain is a base settlement network that defines its own consensus and security budget.
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Layer Two Network
Layer Two Network is a scaling system that settles or posts data to a layer-one chain while executing off the base layer.
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Light Node
Light Node is a resource-light client that verifies less data than a full node, with different trust assumptions.
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Mempool
Mempool is the set of unconfirmed transactions waiting to be included in a block.
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Merkle Root
Merkle Root is the single hash summarizing all transactions in a block’s merkle tree.
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Merkle Tree
Merkle Tree is a hash tree that efficiently commits to a set of transactions in a block.
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Mining
Mining is the process of expending energy and computation to produce proof-of-work blocks.
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Network Congestion
Network Congestion is a state where demand for block space rises, often increasing fees and confirmation delays.
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Node
Node is software participating in peer-to-peer networking and validation for a blockchain.
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Optimistic Rollup
Optimistic Rollup is a rollup that assumes batches are valid unless challenged during a dispute window.
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Oracle
Oracle is a service that feeds external data into smart contracts, introducing dependency risk if manipulated.
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Orphan Block
Orphan Block is a valid block that is not retained on the canonical chain after competition.
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Peer Discovery
Peer Discovery is how nodes find other network participants to exchange blocks and transactions.
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Probabilistic Finality
Probabilistic Finality is growing confidence as more blocks bury a transaction, without an absolute instant guarantee.
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Proof of Stake
Proof of Stake is a consensus approach where validators lock stake and follow protocol rules to propose and attest blocks.
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Proof of Work
Proof of Work is a consensus approach where block proposers expend computational work to earn the right to append blocks.
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Reorg Depth Risk
Reorg Depth Risk is the residual chance recent confirmations could be displaced by a chain reorganization.
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Rollup
Rollup is a layer-two design that batches transactions and posts data or proofs to a parent chain.
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Sequencer
Sequencer is a component that orders layer-two transactions, which may introduce centralization or censorship risks.
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Sharding
Sharding is splitting network load across multiple shards to improve scale, with cross-shard complexity.
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Sidechain
Sidechain is a separate chain pegged or bridged to a parent chain with its own security assumptions.
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Slashing
Slashing is protocol penalties that destroy or lock stake for validator misbehavior.
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Smart Contract Platform
Smart Contract Platform is a blockchain that hosts programmable contracts beyond simple transfers.
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Soft Fork
Soft Fork is a backward-compatible tightening of consensus rules when widely adopted.
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State Channel
State Channel is an off-chain interaction pattern that settles final state on-chain when participants close the channel.
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State Root
State Root is a commitment hash representing account and storage state after executing a block.
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Throughput
Throughput is how many transactions a network can process per unit time under given conditions.
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Time Lock
Time Lock is a condition preventing spending until a time or block height is reached.
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Unspent Transaction Output
Unspent Transaction Output is a ledger model tracking spendable outputs rather than account balances.
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