Blocks: ordered transactions and a commitment to state

What a block organises

Blocks group transactions and link to earlier blocks. Their ordering matters because one transaction can change the state against which the next transaction executes. A swap's result can therefore depend on earlier activity in the same block.

Nodes verify proposed blocks under the protocol's rules. A block explorer presents an interpretation of this data; it is not the authority that makes the block valid. Its labels and indexing can be mistaken or delayed.

Timing needs context

A block timestamp is not automatically a precise record of when a user clicked a button, signed locally or first broadcast the transaction. Compare like events when constructing a launch timeline. Mixing a social-media timestamp with a chain timestamp can create apparent precision unsupported by the collection method.

Preserve block numbers and transaction ordering with the source records. For stronger investigations, reproduce the relevant state changes rather than inferring them from chart candles. See evidence snapshots and MASTR's launch-timing investigation.

Quellen und Originale

• Ethereum documentation: Blocks