24 Aug 23 12:23 am type: related: ethereum blockchain eth-transactions

eth-blocks

  • to ensure all network participants maintain a synchronized state and agree on history of txns
  • blocks = batches of txns
  • hundreds of txns are committed, agreed and synchronized all at once
  • blocks are only created and committed on ethereum every 12 seconds to give time for all network participants to catch up
  • a block is put together by a randomly selected validator on the network then propagate to the rest of the network
  • other nodes add this block to their end of the blockchain, and a new validator is then selected to create the next block and so on

the block-assembly process and consensus process is called “proof of stake

what’s in a block

  • slot

  • proposer_index - id of the validator proposing the block

  • parent_root - the hash of the preceding block

  • state_room - root hash of the state object

  • after proof of stake, the blocktime has been consistent with 12 seconds

  • each blog has a target size of 15 million gas, but it goes up and down upto 30mil (2x)

  • total amt of gas expended by all txns in the block must be less than the limit

  • blocks shouldnt be way too big either cuz

    • less performant full nodes wouldnt be able to keep up
    • greater computing power required to process them in time for next slot
  • this is a centralizing force, which is resisted by capping block sizes 😎

references

https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/blocks/