Blockspace
The limited transaction-data capacity available in a blockchain's blocks.
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.
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.
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
Explore connected entries beyond the alphabetical index.
Block
→A batch of valid transactions added to a blockchain, linked to the previous block by a cryptographic hash.
Fee Market
→The rules and user demand that determine the price of scarce transaction inclusion or execution capacity.
Transaction
→A serialized state transition that a blockchain can validate, relay, and include in a block.
Adaptive Blocksize Limit Algorithm (ABLA)
→Bitcoin Cash consensus rules that adjust the maximum block size gradually in response to sustained block use.