What Is the Purpose of a “Block Header” in a Blockchain?
The block header is a small section of data that summarizes the contents of the entire block and is essential for the Proof-of-Work mechanism. It contains key metadata, including the hash of the previous block, the Merkle Root of all transactions, the timestamp, the difficulty target, and the nonce.
The header is the only part of the block that is hashed repeatedly by miners to find a valid solution, securing the chain and validating the transactions.
Glossar
Merkle Root
Derivation ⎊ A Merkle Root functions as a cryptographic summary of all transactions within a block, essential for verifying data integrity in distributed ledger technology.
Block Header
Genesis ⎊ A block header, fundamentally, encapsulates metadata pertaining to a specific block within a blockchain; it serves as the block’s identifying signature and is critical for maintaining chain integrity.