Homework on Stale Blocks

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#3050
  1. The one with the longest chain is used and the other is stale.
  2. A stale block is an unverified block and is displaced by the block with the longest chain.
  3. Blocks are created inside the 10 minute interval. If two are created at the same time - ie they both solve the equation at the same time, the shortest one is discarded.
  4. Confirmation needs to have redundancy to make sure that it is accurate and weed out any stale blocks. This also avoids hacking and fraud.
1 Like
#3051

  1. Both blocks are propagated as valid until the next block mined is appended to one of the competing blocks. The shorter blockchain is discarded and TXs are returned to the mempool.

  2. A stale block is a block that was considered valid, and then later discard due to losing out to a competing block.

  3. Stale blocks occur when another block is added to the block it is competing against and the losing block is discarded.

  4. The 10 minute block time allows the network time to resolve disputes with conflicting blockchains. Having multiple blocks confirm ensures that the transaction will not be discarded on a stale block.

1 Like
#3052

1, both blocks will begin to propagate across the network though, in the end, the longest chain will win.
2, is a block that drops off the network after a longer chain is accepted by all nodes
3, occurs when two miners solve the puzzle at the same time
4, in case your tx is on a chain that is not accepted as the longest chain on the network

1 Like
#3053

When two miners solve a block at the same time, the one with the longest chain wins. There can be only one…heehee
A stale block is the one that has to go back to the mempool and start over.
A stale block is the one that lost in the ability to complete the nonce first and append it to the blockchain.
Its important to wait for approx 6 blocks to be confirmed in order to ensure that your block does not become orphaned.

1 Like
#3054

  1. If that is the case, each adjacent node has a different version of the blockchain, until another miner continues one of the blocks, that longer blockchain qualifies, the non-chosen block is removed from the blockchain and the transactions contained in it return to the mempool.

  2. A stale block is a block that is no longer part of the current best blockchain because it was overridden by the blocks of a longer chain.

  3. When two miners located on polar opposite ends of the globe successfully find a valid next block at the same time.

  4. To ensure that the current blocks are part of the accepted blockchain.

1 Like
#3055
  1. What happens in the bitcoin network when two miners solve a block at the same time? One of the blocks will get dropped
  2. What is a stale block? A dropped block
  3. How do stale blocks occur? When miners solve a block at the same time only one of them will remain in the chain (the one with the most POW), the other one will be the stale block returning to the mempool
  4. Why is it important to wait for more than one block to be confirmed when sending or receiving a transaction? To minimize issue stale blocks
1 Like
#3056
  1. When 2 miners solve a block at the same time the block in the longest chain wins and the other block is discarded and considered a stale or orphaned block. All the transactions are returned to the mempool.
  2. A stale block is the block that was in the blockchain but then dropped because another block that was produced at the same time was part of a longer chain.
  3. Stale blocks occur when a block was valid for a while because 2 were produced with the same version of the truth but then dropped because the blockchain continued on another block.
  4. It is important to wait for 6 confirmations to be sure that the block your transactions are in is not dropped from the chain.
1 Like
#3057
  1. The chain splits in two valid ends. That what is longer keep as the main chain.
  2. Is a complete valid block that once belong to the chain but not anymore.
  3. Once the main -longer- chain is confirmed the blocks of the other drops to the mempool.
  4. Because could be two valid chains at the same time with different data and our TX could be part of a stale block. So, after 6 confirmed blocks we can be sure that the block belong to the main chain.
1 Like
#3058
  1. The longest chain is accepted and the smaller one is considered stale/orphaned and returned to the mempool.
  2. The block that was returned to the mempool because the link was smaller than the competing block.
  3. When two blocks are mined at the same time and the smaller of the two is considered stale and unnecessary.
  4. To verify the block doesn’t become stale and get dropped.
1 Like
#3059

  1. The chain splits into 2 chains. Until one leg gets longer then the other leg becomes stale.

  2. A stale block also called an orphan block is a block that is moved to the mempool.

  3. Stale blocks occur when the one end of the fork becomes longer the short leg goes back to the mempool, those blocks are called stale.

  4. To reduce the chance of stale blocks.

2 Likes
#3060
  1. The blockchain splits into 2. The longest chain wins in the end, and the other will be dropped.
  2. Also orphaned block, a block that was part of the blockchain, but later it was dropped.
  3. After splitting the chain, one leg becomes longer, meaning that it wins, and the other one will be dropped to the mempool.
  4. It ensures that the block with our transaction is and remains the part of the blockchain.
1 Like
#3061
  1. When 2 miners solve a block at the same time, the two different versions are propagated on the network until such time as the version that has the longest number of subsequent appended blocks is accepted by the network as the valid version, and the other block is dropped.
  2. A stale block is a block that is dropped from the network, and the txs contained therein are returned to the mempool.
  3. Stale blocks occur when different miners simultaneously produce valid blocks with the correct hash value, and hence are accepted on the b/c.
  4. Waiting for more than one block to be appended to the block in question helps ensure that version of the blockchain will not be dropped, and the txs won’t be returned to the mempool.
1 Like
#3062

  1. What happens in the bitcoin network when two miners solve a block at the same time? - One of the block chains will continue, typically the longer block chain will continue and the shorter will be “orphaned” or dropped.

  2. What is a stale block? - The “orphaned” or dropped block

  3. How do stale blocks occur? - When two blocks are created at the same time and one is dropped because the chain was continued on the other.

  4. Why is it important to wait for more than one block to be confirmed when sending or receiving a transaction? - To make sure your transactions are not dropped from the chain.

1 Like
#3063

  1. then there are two blockchains that nodes and minders can pick up. The one version that is longer / has the higher difficulty will be picked up by the global network.

  2. a stale block is a block that got dropped.

  3. this happens when two blocks got mined at the same time and two versions of the blockchain exist. The longer one will be picked up by the network and the other one will be dropped.

  4. it is important to wait approx. six blocks to be certain that the block is in the blockchain. A stale block might occur and drop the transaction, which results in returning it to the Mempool.

1 Like
#3064

Stale Blocks - Homework
1- In this case, both blocks are put in the blockchain and therefore two versions of chain, both valid, are in the nodes. The next block will solve the situation, making the network discarting one of the versions.
2- Two valid blocks, A and B are put in the chain at same time in different nodes. A stale block (block A) is a block which has been discarted by the network when the new block in the chain has been linked to the other previous block (Block B) competing with block A to become the longer chain.
3- Stale blocks occur when two miners succeed at the sam time in puting the new block in the chain, each miner mines a different block, so when two of them put their new block in the chain, two versions of the chain are created and one has to be discarded by the network, leaving the discarded block orphan or stale and later on removed from the chain.
4- It is important to make sure your transaction is not included in a stale block which eventually will be removed of the chain and the TXs sent back to the mempool.

1 Like
#3065
  1. The longest chain will be confirmed and upended onto the blockchain and the other will be sent back to the mempool.
  2. A rejected block that failed to compete with a longer block.
  3. When 2 miners compete and one fails and gets rejected.
  4. To avoid a stale block and ensure the block is upended onto the blockchain.
1 Like
#3066
  • There will be two confirmed blockchains in circulation
  • The next miner who chooses to append to whichever blockchain, will be the new accepted blockchain across the network, as it is longer than the other
  • The other be rejected, and its additional contents, that aren’t part of the accepted blockchain will be sent back to the mempool

Blocks that were previously confirmed, but got dropped from the blockchain as a longer version of the blockchain without that block overrided it
3.

  • By having a new block created before the previous block has finished fully distributing across the network
  • This causes two blocks to be in circulation

To ensure that the block can fully propagate around majority of the network before a new block is produced, which reduces the chance of a stale block

1 Like
#3067
  1. There will be a split in the blockchain and 2 versions of the truth.
  2. Stale blocks are blocks that were once in the blockchain but got dropped because there is another version of the truth which is the longer chain.
  3. Stale blocks occur when miners produce a block at exactly the same time. The block with the longest chain gets accepted while the other block gets dropped or becomes stale.
  4. To minimize the issue with stale blocks, the best practice is 6 confirmations.
1 Like
#3068

More confirmations means more additional blocks were added on top of either of these blocks, it doesn’t reduce the chance of stale blocks occurring. The reason why the user should wait for more blocks to get appended on the chain is to make sure his tx doesn’t get dropped in case it ends up being in a stale block. :slight_smile:

#3069

1 - Both blocks will be picked. The next miner will continue with the longer more complicated block.
2 - A block that was left behind because the more difficult one was chosen.
3 - Stale block occurs when 2 miners produce a block at exactly the same time. The less difficult block is left behind.
4 - So that several miners confirm or audit the transaction and accept it to the blockchain.

2 Likes