A distributed ledger technology that records transactions in blocks linked chronologically and secured through cryptography

What is Smart Contract?

Self-executing code on a blockchain that automatically enforces agreement terms

A change in blockchain protocol rules that creates a divergence from the original chain

What is Hash Function?

Cryptographic algorithm that converts input data into a fixed-size alphanumeric string

What is Consensus Mechanism?

The method by which a blockchain network agrees on the current state of the ledger

What is Genesis Block?

The first block in a blockchain, hardcoded into the software

Node definition

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Oct 04, 2025

Definition

A computer that maintains a copy of the blockchain and validates transactions

Nodes can be full (storing the entire blockchain) or light (storing only headers); they form the backbone of blockchain networks, with Bitcoin having over 15,000 reachable nodes as of 2025. Node Requirements: Bitcoin Full Node: ~500GB storage, 2GB RAM minimum. Ethereum Full Node: ~1TB+ storage, 8GB RAM recommended. Bandwidth: 50GB+ monthly upload/download. Node Distribution (2025): USA: 28%, Germany: 11%, France: 6%, Singapore: 4%, Others: 51%.

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Core Blockchain Concepts

Related Terms

Blockchain

Smart Contract

Fork

Hash Function

Consensus Mechanism

Genesis Block