A full node downloads and checks every block against the consensus rules: valid signatures, no double spends, no coins created beyond the schedule. This is the enforcement mechanism behind the 21 million cap. The rules hold because participants check them independently, not because anyone has promised to behave.
Full node
Software that independently verifies every rule of the Bitcoin protocol rather than trusting anyone else's word.
Also called: node, bitcoin node
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Halving
The scheduled event, every 210,000 blocks, at which the reward for mining a block is cut…
Hashrate
The total computational power miners are pointing at the Bitcoin network, measured in hashes per second.
Lightning Network
A payment layer built on Bitcoin that settles most transfers off-chain, keeping them fast and cheap.
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