Module 3 of 6 · Mechanics
How a blockchain works
With hashes, keys and signatures in hand, you can now follow the machine itself: how transactions travel, how blocks are built and linked, and how thousands of computers agree on one history.
Lessons in this module
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3.1 Blocks and chains
11 min · Beginner
Lesson 3.1: what is inside a block, how hashes chain blocks together, and why changing old data is so difficult.
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3.2 Nodes and the network
9 min · Beginner
Lesson 3.2: what nodes are, how transactions spread across a peer-to-peer network, and what the mempool is.
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3.3 Reaching consensus: proof of work and proof of stake
12 min · Beginner+
Lesson 3.3: how thousands of computers agree on one history — proof of work, proof of stake, forks and finality, explained simply.