Blockspace
blockchain · economics · scaling
The limited transaction-data capacity available in a blockchain's blocks.
1.general
Blockspace is the capacity available for transactions and other permitted data in a blockchain's blocks. Depending on the network, usage may be measured in bytes, weight units, gas, execution resources, or a combination of limits.
2.economics
When demand approaches available capacity, users may compete through fees, wait longer, use different transaction structures, or move activity elsewhere. When capacity is underused, the minimum relay or mining policy may matter more than fee competition.
3.comparison
Blockspace is not the same as transactions per second. Transaction sizes and computation vary, limits may adjust, blocks arrive irregularly, and validation, propagation, storage, decentralization, and user demand all affect practical throughput.
Related terms
Block
→A batch of valid transactions added to a blockchain, linked to the previous block by a cryptographic hash.
mining · blockchain · security
Fee Market
→The rules and user demand that determine the price of scarce transaction inclusion or execution capacity.
blockchain · economics
Transaction
→A record submitted to a blockchain to make a payment or another permitted change.
blockchain · technical
Adaptive Blocksize Limit Algorithm (ABLA)
→Bitcoin Cash consensus rules that adjust the maximum block size gradually in response to sustained block use.
bitcoin-cash · protocol · scaling
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