In the previous section, we saw that Bitcoin blocks do not appear according to an exact schedule.
But now an interesting question arises: when a new block is found, how do the other computers participating in Bitcoin find out if there is no central server responsible for communicating it?
To understand this, we need to know a fundamental feature of its architecture: Bitcoin operates through a P2P network.
P2P stands for Peer-to-Peer, an English expression that translates as a network between peers.
But what is it, really?
First, let's think about a traditional system. When we use certain digital services, our computer communicates with servers managed by a company. Those servers centralize certain functions and can act as essential intermediaries in providing the service.
Bitcoin uses a different communication model. Instead of relying on a single central server responsible for distributing all the information, the computers participating in its network can connect to one another and exchange messages using the Bitcoin protocol.
AND WHAT INFORMATION DO THEY EXCHANGE?
Mainly, information related to transactions and blocks.
For example, when someone makes a bitcoin transaction, it can enter the network and begin spreading among different computers.
Something similar happens when a new block is found: information about its existence begins to circulate so that other participants can learn about it.
But there's an important detail: not all computers are directly connected to one another.
The network operates through multiple connections that allow information to travel along different paths.
This means that a computer can receive information that originally came from another computer it never connected to directly.
Nor is information transmitted instantly and simultaneously to all participants.
Some receive certain messages before others because factors such as network distance, available connections, congestion, and communication times come into play.
For this reason, for brief periods, different computers may have different information about the most recent transactions and blocks.
WHY IS THIS ARCHITECTURE IMPORTANT?
Because it eliminates the need for a single central server responsible for distributing all Bitcoin information.
If a computer stops working or a connection is interrupted, other connections can continue to allow messages to circulate.
This helps Bitcoin function as a distributed network, although it doesn't mean that it is immune to disruptions or connectivity problems.
And here we need to understand an essential distinction.
The fact that information can circulate among thousands of computers doesn't mean they all have to accept it as true.
Communicating information is one thing; determining whether it follows the system's rules is quite another.
So a fundamental question arises:
If Bitcoin doesn't depend on a central authority to control all operations, what component makes it possible to independently verify that the information received is valid?
To answer this, we need to learn about one of the most important parts of how it works: the full node....
Let's take a look....