Encyclopedia

This Archive aims to provide the glossary terms and docs you need to understand Bitcoin and start building Bitcoin-based applications.

A

Address

A 20-byte hash formatted using base58check to produce either a P2PKH or P2SH Bitcoin address....

Ancestor mining

Selecting transactions for mining not just based on their fees but also based on the...

Archival node

A computer that connects to the Bitcoin network.Not to be confused with: Lightweight node, SPV...

B

Bare multisig

A pubkey script that provides n number of pubkeys and requires the corresponding signature script...

Base58check

The method used in Bitcoin for converting 160-bit hashes into P2PKH and P2SH addresses. ...

Best block chain

A chain of blocks with each block referencing the block that preceded it. The most-difficult-to-recreate...

Best header chain

A chain of block headers with each header linking to the header that preceded it;...

Bitcoin URI

A URI which allows receivers to encode payment details so spenders don’t have to manually...

Bitcoins

Denominations of Bitcoin value, usually measured in fractions of a bitcoin but sometimes measured in...

Block

One or more transactions prefaced by a block header and protected by proof of work....

Block 0

The first block in the Bitcoin block chain.Not to be confused with: Generation transaction (the...

Block chain

A chain of blocks with each block referencing the block that preceded it. The most-difficult-to-recreate...

Block header

An 80-byte header belonging to a single block which is hashed repeatedly to create proof...

Block height

The number of blocks preceding a particular block on a block chain. For example, the...

Block reward

The amount that miners may claim as a reward for creating a block. Equal to...

Blocks-first sync

Synchronizing the block chain by downloading each block from a peer and then validating it.Not...

Bloom filter

A filter used primarily by SPV clients to request only matching transactions and merkle blocks...

C

Certificate chain

A chain of certificates connecting a individual’s leaf certificate to the certificate authority’s root certificate.

Chain code

In HD wallets, 256 bits of entropy added to the public and private keys to...

Change address

An output in a transaction which returns satoshis to the spender, thus preventing too much...

Change output

An output in a transaction which returns satoshis to the spender, thus preventing too much...

Child key

In HD wallets, a key derived from a parent key. The key can be...

Child pays for parent

Selecting transactions for mining not just based on their fees but also based on the...

Child private key

In HD wallets, a key derived from a parent key. The key can be...

Child public key

In HD wallets, a key derived from a parent key. The key can be...

Coinbase

A special field used as the sole input for coinbase transactions. The coinbase allows claiming...

Coinbase block height

The current block’s height encoded into the first bytes of the coinbase field.

Coinbase transaction

The first transaction in a block. Always created by a miner, it includes a...

CompactSize

A type of variable-length integer commonly used in the Bitcoin P2P protocol and Bitcoin serialized...

Compressed public key

An ECDSA public key that is 33 bytes long rather than the 65 bytes of...

Confirmation score

A score indicating the number of blocks on the best block chain that would need...

Confirmations

A score indicating the number of blocks on the best block chain that would need...

Confirmed transaction

A score indicating the number of blocks on the best block chain that would need...

Consensus

When several nodes (usually most nodes on the network) all have the same blocks in...

Consensus rules

The block validation rules that full nodes follow to stay in consensus with other nodes.Not...

CPFP

Selecting transactions for mining not just based on their fees but also based on the...

D

Data carrier transaction

A transaction type relayed and mined by default in Bitcoin Core 0.9.0 and later that...

Data-pushing opcode

Operation codes from the Bitcoin Script language which push data or perform functions within a...

Denomination

Denominations of Bitcoin value, usually measured in fractions of a bitcoin but sometimes measured in...

Difficulty

How difficult it is to find a block relative to the difficulty of finding the...

DNS seed

A DNS server which returns IP addresses of full nodes on the Bitcoin network to...

Double spend

A transaction that uses the same input as an already broadcast transaction. The attempt of...

E

Escrow contract

A transaction in which a spender and receiver place funds in a 2-of-2 (or other...

Extended key

In the context of HD wallets, a public key or private key extended with the...

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