The Bitcoin Field Guide
Bitcoin can feel complicated. The Bitcoin Field Guide is a growing collection of straightforward answers to the questions people actually have about Bitcoin, from the basics of how it works to self custody, mining, privacy, and using bitcoin in everyday life.
New entry every Monday.
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What happens when Bitcoin's rules change? Learn the difference between soft forks and hard forks, why backward compatibility matters, and how changes to the network can sometimes lead to a split.
What’s the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?
What is the Mempool?
What happens to a Bitcoin transaction while it’s still pending? Learn what the mempool is, why each node has its own, and what happens while transactions wait to be confirmed.
What actually happens when you send bitcoin?
What actually happens after you hit send? Follow a Bitcoin transaction from your wallet to the network, through the mempool, and into a block.