Blockchain network

A blockchain network is the group of computers, rules, and software that keeps a blockchain operational. It includes the nodes that store and share the ledger, the participants that propose and validate new blocks, and the consensus rules that determine which blocks are accepted. The network coordinates how transactions are broadcast, verified, ordered into blocks, and added to the chain so that participants converge on the same transaction history. Network design varies by protocol and can influence how quickly blocks are produced, how finality is achieved, and how the system remains secure under normal and stressed conditions.

The Bitcoin blockchain network includes nodes that relay transactions and validate blocks, and miners that produce new blocks under proof-of-work rules, all while following the same consensus parameters.