Although this is an old topic, people’s interest in Bitcoin and the popularity of cryptocurrency has increased since last two, three years. Because, Bitcoin or most other cryptocurrencies work based on this blockchain technology. So to know what cryptocurrency is and how it works, first of all you have to know about the Blockchain Technology behind it. So today we will discuss the technology behind this cryptocurrency, what blockchain is and how it works. I will try to explain this complete blockchain technology in a little simple language and in a few words.
What is a blockchain
First of all, take a closer look at this term. Only then will you get a basic idea of what this name actually means. Blockchain means a chain made of blocks or a chain of blocks. We all know what a chain is. A chain is a combination of many of the same things, as well as the addition of one to another. So think about it, the term blockchain means to create a chain of blocks by connecting many blocks to one another.
The blocks that make up this chain basically store information. Blockchain technology has been around for a long time and is being used in many cases. But the general public’s interest in this technology was created in 2009 after the invention of a digital currency or cryptocurrency called Bitcoin. Technically, blockchain technology is a distributed laser that is open to everyone. When data is entered into one of the blocks in a blockchain, it is almost impossible to delete that data or make any changes to that data. What is the cause behind this?
Alright, if you want to know this, you must first know what is in each of these blocks.
Each single block in a complete blockchain techno basically consists of three things – data, hash and hash of the previous block in the chain. That is, each block in the blockchain contains the block’s own data, the block’s own hash, and the hash of the previous block attached just behind it. Got the data, but what is the hash thing?
What is the hash thing?
Hash is basically an identifier. The hash of each block is its own and specific to each. That is, the hash of two blocks can never be the same. This is a lot like a human fingerprint. Just as the fingerprints of two people can never be the same, the hash of two blocks can never be the same. And these hashes are generated according to the data stored in each block.
This means that if the data of a block is changed in any way, then the hash of that block will also change. Now think about why each block has a hash of its previous block. If each block also contains the hash attached to it, then no one will be able to change the data of any block at will. So it is almost impossible to delete or change every data entered in the blockchain. Because, in this case, if you want to change the data in one block, then you have to change the data of all the previous blocks with that block, otherwise the whole blockchain will be invalidated or will not work anymore.
How does Blockchain Technology work?
By now you must have understood how blockchain technology ensures security. But another big reason why blockchain is secure? Because its network is distributed. Blockchain basically creates a P2P network. Where the data of each block of the blockchain can be verified by any person connected to the Internet. When a new person registers on this blockchain network, he gets a copy of all the blocks in front of him and all his previous blocks and he verifies each block and makes sure that every data in the blockchain is still correct. The more times each block in a blockchain is verified, the more irrevocable the data becomes. This is basically how blockchain technology continues to advance. We all know that bitcoin transactions are based on blockchain technology. Let’s see, how does it work?
An example of Blockchain Technology
Suppose you have 10 bitcoins. You want to send me 3 bitcoins from there. In that case this amount will be transferred from your wallet to my wallet. When you send the bitcoin to my wallet address, a new block will be created in the blockchain with all the details of this transaction. The data of this block will be the sender i.e. your wallet address, the receiver i.e. my wallet address. And the amount of bitcoin you will send.
This time this new block will come in front of everyone connected to the blockchain to verify. When they all verify this block or confirm that everything is OK, this transaction record will remain permanently in the blockchain and the transaction will be completing. In the case of Bitcoin, those who do the work of verifying this block are called Bitcoin Miners. And most of the fees you have to pay to process this transaction will go to Bitcoin Miners, who have used their hardware to do Bitcoin mining or verify this block.
Now you must have got a clear idea of how blockchain works and why miners can earn bitcoin by mining bitcoin.
