Example block data

In this section, we are going to examine the data structures that are used in blockchains. We will be looking primarily at Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Bitshares blockchains to see key commonalities and differences.

Example Ethereum block

Here is the data from an example Ethereum block, from block 5223669:

If you remember, at the beginning of the chapter, we said there were three things common to blockchains: the reference to the prior block, the Hash of the transactions in the block, and network-specific metadata. In this block from the Ethereum network, all three are present. The reference to the prior block is contained by the block height and parent hash values. The Hash of the transactions is the hash entry, and the metadata is everything else, which will be network specific.

Bitcoin block

Here is a snapshot of a Bitcoin block:

Both Bitcoin and Ethereum are PoW chains; let's look now at a Proof of Stake (POS) ecosystem: Bitshares.

Here is some data from a Bitshares block:

Despite...