<p>As Pieter said, in future, please limit questions to one at a time :)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>which makes a lower value than hash values given in transactions</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think you're a bit confused here. The block hash has to be less than the difficulty target, but that has nothing to do with transaction hashes. The difficulty is just determined by how quickly the previous blocks were being mined.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>How many transactions should a miner should verify in a single block? </p>
</blockquote>

<p>The miner can choose what transactions to put in the block, usually it is most profitable to fill the block up to its size limit with the highest fee transactions so the miner makes the most profit. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Is it correct that a block is exactly a text file of “transaction lists+ appropriate nonce value corresponding to those transactions”?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It's not a text file, it's just bytes sent around the network. But yes kind of, it's a list of all the transactions in the block plus a block header, which contains a little extra info about the block such as it's timestamp and a nonce.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Is he rewarded at the time he created a block or at the time after his block is chosen to be a part of the greatest cumulative difficulty chain?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The mining reward is just a transaction which pays the miner. So like any other transaction, it is valid as long as it is in the main chain, yes.</p>

<p>See also: <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/148/what-exactly-is-mining">What exactly is Mining?</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T22:44:42.497Z
Say A sends B a very small amount of bitcoin. Then this would be not profitable to miners and so miners won’t include this transaction in a block. So actually is very small amount of transaction impossible?
Rubertos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T22:48:19.713Z
It doesn't matter how much is sent, it only matters how much fee is paid. But actually no there is a limit on how small it can be called dust, you cannot send dust to protect the network from tiny transaction spam (although you will be able to send tiny amounts on lightning)
meshcollider
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T08:22:26.977Z
2018-01-11T08:22:26.977Z
meshcollider
<p>I am trying to understand the Blockchain algorithm used in Bitcoin.</p>

<p>I do not get the part how blocks are created.</p>

<p>Let’s say transactions occur at some time. Then, if some nodes get these transactions, these verify the transactions are valid and then send it to other nodes.</p>

<p>With this verify-send algorithm, almost every node verifies these newly occurred transactions in few seconds.</p>

<p>Now, it is a time for a miner to do his job, which I do not understand.</p>

<p>He needs to find a nonce which makes a lower value than hash values given in transactions.</p>

<p><strong>Question 1</strong> How many transactions should a miner should verify in a single block? For example, if a miner A finds a nonce which gives a lower value than hash values given in 50 transactions, and if a miner B finds a nonce which gives a lower value than hash values given in 70 transacations, would a reward be given only to the miner B? So should a miner appropriately choose how many transacations he will work for?</p>

<p><strong>Question 2</strong></p>

<p>How is a block created? In some webpages, it is written that if a miner finds an appropriate nonce, a block is created and a miner is rewarded. What exactly is a block? Is it correct that a block is exactly a text file of “transaction lists+ appropriate nonce value corresponding to those transactions”? </p>

<p><strong>Question 3</strong></p>

<p>When is a miner rewarded? Is he rewarded at the time he created a block or at the time after his block is chosen to be a part of the greatest cumulative difficulty chain?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T07:20:45.413Z
Please ask one question at a time. This makes it easier to search for later by other people, and easier to individually answer and/or mark as duplicate with existing questions.
Pieter Wuille
<transactions><blockchain><block>
What exactly is a block?
Rubertos
# What exactly is a block?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-11)

I am trying to understand the Blockchain algorithm used in Bitcoin.

I do not get the part how blocks are created.

Let’s say transactions occur at some time. Then, if some nodes get these transactions, these verify the transactions are valid and then send it to other nodes.

With this verify-send algorithm, almost every node verifies these newly occurred transactions in few seconds.

Now, it is a time for a miner to do his job, which I do not understand.

He needs to find a nonce which makes a lower value than hash values given in transactions.

**Question 1** How many transactions should a miner should verify in a single block? For example, if a miner A finds a nonce which gives a lower value than hash values given in 50 transactions, and if a miner B finds a nonce which gives a lower value than hash values given in 70 transacations, would a reward be given only to the miner B? So should a miner appropriately choose how many transacations he will work for?

**Question 2**

How is a block created? In some webpages, it is written that if a miner finds an appropriate nonce, a block is created and a miner is rewarded. What exactly is a block? Is it correct that a block is exactly a text file of “transaction lists+ appropriate nonce value corresponding to those transactions”?

**Question 3**

When is a miner rewarded? Is he rewarded at the time he created a block or at the time after his block is chosen to be a part of the greatest cumulative difficulty chain?

**Tags:** transactions, blockchain, block

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please ask one question at a time. This makes it easier to search for later by other people, and easier to individually answer and/or mark as duplicate with existing questions.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-01-11. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

As username_1 said, in future, please limit questions to one at a time :)

> which makes a lower value than hash values given in transactions

I think you're a bit confused here. The block hash has to be less than the difficulty target, but that has nothing to do with transaction hashes. The difficulty is just determined by how quickly the previous blocks were being mined.

> How many transactions should a miner should verify in a single block?

The miner can choose what transactions to put in the block, usually it is most profitable to fill the block up to its size limit with the highest fee transactions so the miner makes the most profit.

> Is it correct that a block is exactly a text file of “transaction lists+ appropriate nonce value corresponding to those transactions”?

It's not a text file, it's just bytes sent around the network. But yes kind of, it's a list of all the transactions in the block plus a block header, which contains a little extra info about the block such as it's timestamp and a nonce.

> Is he rewarded at the time he created a block or at the time after his block is chosen to be a part of the greatest cumulative difficulty chain?

The mining reward is just a transaction which pays the miner. So like any other transaction, it is valid as long as it is in the main chain, yes.

See also: [What exactly is Mining?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/148/what-exactly-is-mining)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Say A sends B a very small amount of bitcoin. Then this would be not profitable to miners and so miners won’t include this transaction in a block. So actually is very small amount of transaction impossible?  
> **username_2**: It doesn't matter how much is sent, it only matters how much fee is paid. But actually no there is a limit on how small it can be called dust, you cannot send dust to protect the network from tiny transaction spam (although you will be able to send tiny amounts on lightning)  

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