What Is the Difference between Block Size and Block Weight in Bitcoin?
Block size traditionally referred to the hard limit of 1 megabyte (MB) for a Bitcoin block. Block weight is a newer concept introduced with the Segregated Witness (SegWit) upgrade.
Weight is a measure that assigns different values to different parts of a transaction's data. Specifically, witness data (signatures) is weighted less heavily than other transaction data.
The block weight limit is 4 million units. This change effectively allows blocks to be larger than 1MB in data size while maintaining the spirit of the original limit, thus increasing network capacity.
Glossar
Block Limit
Capacity ⎊ The Block Limit specifies the maximum permissible size, typically measured in bytes or virtual bytes, for a block to be considered valid by the network's consensus rules.
Block Weight
Weighting ⎊ The concept of block weight, across cryptocurrency, options, and derivatives, fundamentally represents a measure of influence or relative importance assigned to a particular block or transaction within a given system.
Block Weight Limit
Constraint ⎊ The Block Weight Limit is a protocol-enforced constraint defining the maximum permissible size for a block, measured in units of weight rather than raw bytes.
Segregated Witness
Witness ⎊ Segregated Witness (SegWit) fundamentally alters transaction structure within blockchain systems, initially implemented in Bitcoin, to enhance efficiency and scalability.
Block Size Debate
Debate ⎊ Block Size Debate centers on the maximum data capacity allocated to a single block within a blockchain architecture, directly influencing transaction throughput and network scalability.
Block Size Limit
Constraint ⎊ Block size limit, within cryptocurrency networks, fundamentally dictates the maximum data volume permitted within a single block added to the blockchain.