Learn About Blockchain [Part3]
How Does a Blockchain Work?
You might be familiar with spreadsheets or databases. A blockchain is somewhat similar because it is a database where information is entered and stored. But the key difference between a traditional database or spreadsheet and a blockchain is how the data is structured and accessed.
A blockchain consists of programs called scripts that conduct the tasks you usually would in a database: Entering and accessing information and saving and storing it somewhere. A blockchain is distributed, which means multiple copies are saved on many machines, and they must all match for it to be valid.
The blockchain collects transaction information and enters it into a block, like a cell in a spreadsheet containing information. Once it is full, the information is run through an encryption algorithm, which creates a hexadecimal number called the hash.
The hash is then entered into the following block header and encrypted with the other information in the block. This creates a series of blocks that are chained together.