What does Block mean?
Block Meaning
A Block is the fundamental unit of a Blockchain. You can think of it like a single page in a digital record book. Each block contains a specific set of recent transactions, a timestamp, and a cryptographic signature called a "hash" that links it to the block before it. This linking process is what creates the "chain." Once a block is filled with transactions and verified by the network through Mining, it is permanently closed and added to the history. No one can go back and erase a block without breaking the entire chain that follows it.
Key Takeaways
- It functions as a digital container that groups pending transactions together to be processed at once.
- Every block contains a unique code (hash) that connects it to the previous block, ensuring the correct order.
- Blocks store three things: transaction data, block header (metadata), and a reference to the past.
- Once a block is confirmed, the transactions inside it are considered irreversible.
Why It Matters
Without blocks, cryptocurrencies would just be a messy list of unorganized payments. Blocks provide order and security. They act as the "heartbeat" of the network. For example, Bitcoin produces a new block roughly every 10 minutes, while Ethereum produces one every 12 seconds. This timing (called "Block Time") determines how fast a transaction completes. If you send money and it misses the current block, it must wait for the next "train" (block) to leave the station.
Block Example
Imagine you are waiting for a train to go to work. The train station is the Mempool (where unconfirmed transactions wait). The train is the Block. The train conductor is the Miner. Even though you bought your ticket (sent the transaction), you don't actually move until the conductor opens the doors, packs you and 500 other passengers into the train cars, and the train leaves the station. In Bitcoin, this "train" departs every 10 minutes.
