What's Merkle Tree?

Blockchain

A Merkle tree is a fundamental data structure used in blockchain technology and distributed systems. Named after Ralph Merkle, who patented it in 1979, this tree structure enables efficient and secure verification of data integrity.

How it works

In a Merkle tree, each leaf node contains a hash of a data block, while each non-leaf node contains a hash of its children. This creates a hierarchical structure where the root hash (Merkle root) represents all the data in the tree.

Use in Blockchain

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies use Merkle trees to efficiently verify transactions. The Merkle root is stored in the block header, allowing nodes to verify specific transactions without downloading the entire blockchain.