From 452f1752c13f88fd5419f42bc7595f09fcf19b4d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "myarbrough@oreilly.com" Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 05:14:09 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] Made changes to glossary.asciidoc --- glossary.asciidoc | 82 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 82 insertions(+) diff --git a/glossary.asciidoc b/glossary.asciidoc index e69de29b..f8cd46eb 100644 --- a/glossary.asciidoc +++ b/glossary.asciidoc @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +=== Quick Glossary + +This quick glossary contains many of the terms used in relation to bitcoin. These terms are used throughout the book, so bookmark this for a quick reference and clarification. + +address:: +((("bitcoin address"))) +((("address", see="bitcoin address"))) +((("public key", see="bitcoin address"))) + A bitcoin address looks like +1DSrfJdB2AnWaFNgSbv3MZC2m74996JafV+. It consists of a string of letters and numbers starting with a "1" (number one). Just like you ask others to send an email to your email address, you would ask others to send you bitcoin to your bitcoin address. + +bip:: +((("bip"))) + Bitcoin Improvement Proposals. A set of proposals that members of the bitcoin community have submitted to improve bitcoin. For example, BIP0021 is a proposal to improve the bitcoin URI scheme. + +bitcoin:: +((("bitcoin"))) + The name of the currency unit (the coin), the network, and the software. + +block:: +((("block"))) + A grouping of transactions, marked with a timestamp, and a fingerprint of the previous block. The block header is hashed to find a Proof-Of-Work, thereby validating the transactions. Valid blocks are added to the main blockchain by network consensus. + +blockchain:: +((("blockchain"))) + A list of validated blocks, each linking to its predecessor all the way to the genesis block. + +confirmations:: +((("confirmations"))) + Once a transaction is included in a block, it has "one confirmation." As soon as _another_ block is mined on the same blockchain, the transaction has two confirmations, etc. Six or more confirmations is considered sufficient proof that a transaction cannot be reversed. + +difficulty:: +((("difficulty"))) + A network-wide setting that controls how much computation is required to find a Proof-Of-Work. + +difficulty target:: +((("target difficulty"))) + A difficulty at which all the computation in the network will find blocks approximately every 10 minutes. + +difficulty re-targeting:: +((("difficulty re-targeting"))) + A network-wide recalculation of the difficulty that occurs once every 2,106 blocks and considers the hashing power of the previous 2,106 blocks. + +fees:: +((("fees"))) + The sender of a transaction often includes a fee to the network for processing the requested transaction. Most transactions require a minimum fee of 0.5mBTC. + +hash:: +((("hash"))) + A digital fingerprint of some binary input. + +genesis block:: +((("genesis block"))) + The first block in the blockchain, used to initialize the crypto-currency. + +miner:: +((("miner"))) + A network node that finds valid Proof-Of-Work for new blocks, by repeated hashing. + +network:: +((("network"))) + A peer-to-peer network that propagates transactions and blocks to every bitcoin node on the network. + +Proof-Of-Work:: +((("proof-of-work"))) + A piece of data that requires significant computation to find. In bitcoin, miners must find a numeric solution to the SHA256 algorithm that meets a network-wide target, the difficulty target. + +reward:: +((("reward"))) + An amount included in each new block as a reward by the network to the miner who found the Proof-Of-Work solution. It is currently 25BTC per block. + +secret key (aka private key):: +((("secret key"))) +((("private key", see="secret key"))) + The secret number that unlocks bitcoins sent to the corresponding address. A secret key looks like +5J76sF8L5jTtzE96r66Sf8cka9y44wdpJjMwCxR3tzLh3ibVPxh+. + +transaction:: +((("transaction"))) + In simple terms, a transfer of bitcoins from one address to another. More precisely, a transaction is a signed data structure expressing a transfer of value. Transactions are transmitted over the bitcoin network, collected by miners, and included into blocks, made permanent on the blockchain. + +wallet:: +((("wallet"))) + Software that holds all your bitcoin addresses and secret keys. Use it to send, receive, and store your bitcoin. \ No newline at end of file