<blockquote>
<p><strong>Is the winning hash the same as the nonce?</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>No.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Is the miner is trying to solve the nonce or a winning hash?</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Nonces are not solved. Talk of winning is a cause of confusion. This and talk of solving puzzles are either poetry or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie-to-children" rel="nofollow noreferrer">lies told to children</a>. We must climb one rung in Wittgenstein's ladder.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Miners construct a block from valid data, then compute the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_function" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hash</a> of that block.</p>
</li>
<li><p>If the hash is numerically less than the current target, the block is valid. The miner stops mining and publishes the block. Then they resume mining with a completely new block.</p>
</li>
<li><p>If the hash is not less than the target, the block is not valid. The miner changes something in the block and starts again at step 1. The thing they change first is a value known as the nonce (which stands for number used once) which is expressly provided for this purpose in the block structure. After trying all possible nonce values, they can alter something else, like the timestamp or the choice and order of transactions etc.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>As you take a step up Wittgenstein's ladder, you must completely discard the lower rung your foot just stepped off. This website allows people who are one step ahead to guide your foot. Clinging to the lower rungs will impede your progress.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-14T20:56:23.297Z
You are a poet and a brilliant tutor. Am I correct in saying that by having a different timestamp and choice and order of transactions and a different nonce, the miner can then produce different hashes until they get number (a hash) that is below the target, therefore validating the block?
HeyDoeFarm
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-14T21:10:19.040Z
Am I correct in saying that the nonce, the order of transactions, the time stamp are all variables to change to producing a hash that is below the target?
HeyDoeFarm
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-14T21:27:36.357Z
Yes, and more. [What parts of a block, other than the nonce, can a miner vary](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/108184/13866) plus [Which block header fields are miners able to change in an effort to avoid having to recalculate the Merkle Root?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/90393/13866) and [Where is the extraNonce in this coinbase transaction here?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/72580/13866)
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-14T08:30:17.330Z
2022-04-14T09:08:17.000Z
2022-04-14T09:08:17.000Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>Is the miner is trying to solve the nonce or a winning hash?</p>
<p>&quot;The SHA-256 hash of a block's header must be lower than or equal to the current target for the block to be accepted by the network.&quot; Is the Hash referring to the winning number?</p>

<hash><nonce>
Is the winning hash the same as the nonce?
HeyDoeFarm
# Is the winning hash the same as the nonce?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-14)

Is the miner is trying to solve the nonce or a winning hash?

"The SHA-256 hash of a block's header must be lower than or equal to the current target for the block to be accepted by the network." Is the Hash referring to the winning number?

**Tags:** hash, nonce


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-04-14. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> **Is the winning hash the same as the nonce?**

No.

> **Is the miner is trying to solve the nonce or a winning hash?**

Nonces are not solved. Talk of winning is a cause of confusion. This and talk of solving puzzles are either poetry or [lies told to children](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie-to-children). We must climb one rung in Wittgenstein's ladder.

1. Miners construct a block from valid data, then compute the [hash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_function) of that block.
2. If the hash is numerically less than the current target, the block is valid. The miner stops mining and publishes the block. Then they resume mining with a completely new block.
3. If the hash is not less than the target, the block is not valid. The miner changes something in the block and starts again at step 1. The thing they change first is a value known as the nonce (which stands for number used once) which is expressly provided for this purpose in the block structure. After trying all possible nonce values, they can alter something else, like the timestamp or the choice and order of transactions etc.

As you take a step up Wittgenstein's ladder, you must completely discard the lower rung your foot just stepped off. This website allows people who are one step ahead to guide your foot. Clinging to the lower rungs will impede your progress.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: You are a poet and a brilliant tutor. Am I correct in saying that by having a different timestamp and choice and order of transactions and a different nonce, the miner can then produce different hashes until they get number (a hash) that is below the target, therefore validating the block?  
> **username_0**: Am I correct in saying that the nonce, the order of transactions, the time stamp are all variables to change to producing a hash that is below the target?  
> **username_1**: Yes, and more. [What parts of a block, other than the nonce, can a miner vary](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/108184/13866) plus [Which block header fields are miners able to change in an effort to avoid having to recalculate the Merkle Root?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/90393/13866) and [Where is the extraNonce in this coinbase transaction here?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/72580/13866)  

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