Ethereum: How does a node find a transaction in the blockchain?
Understanding how Ethereum nodes find transactions in blockchain
Ethereum nodes play a crucial role in maintaining Blockchain’s integrity and accessibility. A node is essentially a computer that runs Ethereum software, allowing you to validate transactions and archive them in the chain. However, finding specific or UTX (non -spending transactions) transactions may be demanding. In this article, we will deepen the way we find these transactions in Blockchain.
What are Merkle branches?
A branch of Merkle is a structure similar to a tree used to represent the hash of a data collection. It allows an efficient file and recovery of large amounts of data such as transaction hash or UTXO values. When a knot receives a new transaction or UTXO, it creates a merkle branch containing a unique combination of these data.
How does the node find a specific transaction?
When a SPV (light) customer calls for a complete knot for the Merkle branch that contains a specific transaction, this is what happens:
- The node recovers the data : The node sends its current database to the full node, which memorizes it in memory.
- Merkle Branch Creation : The node creates a Merkle branch using the data recovered from its database and the UTXO value of interest (the specific transaction).
- Hash Function: The knot uses a hash function to combine Merkle branch with an empty rope, creating an exclusive fingerprint.
- Merkle Tree Construction
: The knot builds a Merkle tree, recursively combining the Hash from passage 3 until it finds the desired merkle branch (ie, the merkle branch containing the specific transaction).
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and utxos?
Similarly, when a node finds an address (UTXO VALUE), it creates a Merkle branch containing the associated data. However, UTXOS does not have a fixed branch of Merkle, as it is not directly connected to a specific transaction hash. Instead, the nodes use the Merkle Tree
to check the integrity of the transactions and ensure that all valid UTxos are included.
In short, Ethereum nodes use a combination of hash, data structures (such as Merkle trees) and computational power to archive and recover specific transactions or Blockchain UTXO values efficiently. By creating a Merkle branch using recovered data from your database and with relevant UTXO value, nodes can verify the integrity of the transaction and ensure it is valid for inclusion in blockchain.
Conclusion
Understanding how Ethereum nodes find Blockchain transactions is crucial to creating efficient and safe applications on the Ethereum network. By exploring advanced data structures such as Merkle trees, nodes are able to archive, recover and validate transactions and utxos efficiently, ensuring the integrity of the entire chain.