Blocks And Blockchain: A Complete Guide to Understanding This Blockchain Concept

As discussed earlier , blocks are the main building blocks of a blockchain.

Ethereum blocks consist of various elements, which are described as follows: The block header The transactions list The list of headers of ommers or uncles The transaction list is simply a list of all transactions included in the block.

A Complete Guide to Understanding This Blockchain Concept

Also, the list of headers of uncles is also included in the block.

The most important and complex part of a block in Ethereum is the block header.

Block header consists of various elements which are introduced here.

Block header: Block headers are the most critical and detailed components of an Ethereum block.

The header contains valuable information, which is described in detail here: Parent hash: This is the Keccak 256-bit hash of the parent (previous) block’s header.

Ommers hash: This is the Keccak 256-bit hash of the list of ommers (uncles) blocks included in the block.

Why This Matters for Blockchain Technology

The beneficiary: Beneficiary field contains the 160-bit address of the recipient that will receive the mining reward once the block is successfully mined.

State root: The state root field contains the Keccak 256-bit hash of the root node of the state trie.

It is calculated after all transactions have been processed and finalized.

Transactions root: The transaction root is the Keccak 256-bit hash of the root node of the transaction trie.

Key Points to Remember

  • Blocks and blockchain As discussed earlier , blocks are the main building blocks of a blockchain.
  • Ethereum blocks consist of various elements, which are described as follows: The block header The transactions list The list of headers of ommers or uncles The transaction list is simply a list of all transactions included in the block.
  • Also, the list of headers of uncles is also included in the block.
  • The most important and complex part of a block in Ethereum is the block header.

Going Deeper: Advanced Concepts

Transaction trie represents the list of transactions included in the block.

Receipts root: The receipts root is the Keccak 256-bit hash of the root node of the transaction receipt trie.

This trie is composed of receipts of all transactions included in the block.

Transaction receipts are generated after each transaction is processed and contain useful post-transaction information.

Conclusion

Blocks and blockchain represents one of the many innovative layers that make blockchain technology so powerful and transformative. As distributed systems continue to evolve, a solid understanding of these core concepts becomes increasingly valuable — not just for developers, but for anyone building, investing in, or working alongside blockchain-powered systems.

Whether you are just starting your blockchain journey or deepening existing expertise, mastering these fundamentals gives you the tools to think clearly about decentralized systems and make smarter decisions in this rapidly evolving space.