Blockchain Fundamentals
Core concepts that form the foundation of blockchain technology and distributed systems.
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Blockchain
A distributed digital ledger that records transactions across multiple computers in a way that makes the records immutable and transparent.
Ethereum
A decentralized blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps), founded by Vitalik Buterin in 2015.
Web3
The next evolution of the internet built on blockchain technology, emphasizing decentralization, user ownership, and token-based economics rather than centralized platforms.
Whitepaper
A detailed technical document that explains a blockchain project's technology, purpose, tokenomics, and roadmap. The foundational document for any serious cryptocurrency or Web3 project.
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Chain Reorganization
An event where a blockchain replaces a sequence of recent blocks with a different chain, altering transaction history and potentially reversing recent transactions.
Consensus Layer
The protocol and mechanism by which blockchain network participants agree on the current state and validity of transactions, the foundation of blockchain security.
Consensus Mechanism
The protocol by which nodes in a decentralized network agree on the current state of the blockchain, ensuring all participants maintain the same transaction history without a central authority.
Finality
The point at which a blockchain transaction is considered permanently settled and cannot be reversed or modified, varying by consensus mechanism and protocol design.
Mining
The process of validating transactions and creating new blocks on Proof of Work blockchains by solving complex computational puzzles, earning block rewards and transaction fees.
Proof of Burn
A consensus or verification mechanism where participants destroy cryptocurrency to prove their commitment and earn rewards or rights, eliminating the need for computational work.
Soft Fork
A backward-compatible protocol upgrade that tightens rules, where new nodes enforce stricter standards while old nodes can still participate in the network.
Subnet
A custom blockchain running on top of a validator network, sharing security with the base network while enabling specialized applications and custom configurations.
Transaction Finality
The point at which a blockchain transaction becomes irreversible and cannot be altered or removed, ensuring transaction certainty and settlement.
Validator Queue
A waiting period where new validators must stake and wait before joining the active validator set, preventing sudden attacks and managing validator churn.
Validator Slashing
A penalty mechanism in Proof-of-Stake systems where validators lose staked tokens for dishonest behavior, creating economic disincentives against attacks and misbehavior.
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Covenant
A smart contract or Bitcoin script that restricts how an output can be spent, enabling more complex spending conditions than traditional transactions.
Cryptoeconomics
The study of how cryptographic mechanisms combined with economic incentives create secure, decentralized systems where participants are rewarded for honest behavior.
Distributed Validator Technology
A cryptographic system allowing multiple operators to run a single validator through key splitting, reducing solo staking risks while maintaining network security.