SEC S17-W1 || Steem blockchain Sequencers

What are the main building blocks of a blockchain and how does the process of sequencing transactions work in a blockchain network?

Describe how the Steem blockchain sequencer works, highlighting its specific characteristics and its role in consensus. Illustrate a graphical diagram to explain how it works.

What are the different consensus algorithms used in blockchains, and how do they influence the transaction sequencing process?

Explain the role of different types of nodes (like full nodes, light nodes, etc.) in the process of sequencing transactions within a blockchain.

Discuss the importance of decentralization and governance in the context of the Steem blockchain. How does Steem's governance structure affect transaction sequencing and network security? Give a practical example that explains operation.

Wow I'm really impressed with the intensity of this week crypto academy, I must say it's mind blowing and entertaining. Also before I forget it was time consuming because the content demanded a lot of data which I had to work on, in summary I love the contest and I would want the moderators to keep making the contents more intense so we learn more intense knowledge about steem.

Just as you expect every successful project has a building block and to understand any project you need to deeply know about all its building block, below out I listed all the block of a blockchain that I know

• Cryptographic Hash Functions:
They famous term cryptography is generated from two words which are "Crypto" meaning secret and "Graphy" means display, writing or art. When I brought them together it meant secret display or writing.These is a very advance and old mathematical technique or algorithms that convert or encode plain text word, message or password into complex cipher text that looks confusing and very long that makes them very difficult to memorize easily.

This hexadecimal looking cipher text or keys are done to enhance the security of a blockchain, they are known as one of the best security feature any blockchain can employe and that is because unlike the old traditional ways where plaintext password and the regular 4 to 6 pin code used in the unlocking and securing or platform or devices.

This tradition password has proven to be very vulnerable whenever you have been attacked by a cyber professional but with help of cryptography these treats becomes minimized drastically, this is because encrypted keys seems so powerful and very difficult to manipulate, also this cypher text are very difficult to read, memories because the look so scattered and complex for an average brain individual to memorize.

• Blocks:

Block are records that are used to store data, informations, transaction history on a blockchain at a particular period of time, whenever all the verified blocks are liked words like blockchain is discovered.

Unlike the weaker data base structure that has been easily manipulated by criminals, so therefore altering it's originality and authenticity. This is because the data stored on them are not stored permanently like that of a blockchain blocks that is also called units of distributed ledger because it is known to keep blockchain records of all transactions across different network of node in different locations.

This means that the actual location of this powerful records is not one, so in case any node develops issues they platform would keep efficiently and effectively, this makes it difficult to bring down a platform. It's also believe a block can't be deleted or edited after verification by Witnesses and adding of the block to existing blocks.

There are so many reasons why blockchain technology are awesome but I will be talking about how it keeps your data permanently stored by this blocks. Each block has the hash of and information of the previous block this causes it to remain chained when the witness successful verify's the block.

• Block Time:

Every blockchain has a blocked time but they block time of each blockchains differs depending on the consensus mechanism used on that blockchain, that is to say blockchains with similar consensus mechanism tends to have similar block time when compared with other blockchain.

This is the time it take every witness and their system to find a credible solution to successfully verify the encryption problem, successfully verify a block and add it to the existing blockchain. Some blockchains take more block time than others because blockchains like Bitcoin blockchain which support competitions among all validators the best validator to solve the encryption problem goes home with the reward but this case is not seen in so many blockchains like that of Ethereum and steam because of the nature of their consensus mechanism and the distribution of power in this various mechanisms.

• Hashing:

The term hashing is quite self-explanatory that is to say whenever the word hashing his heard the first thing that comes to our mind is the act of hiding data that are very sensitive like password or verification codes that could give you access to verify a blockchain or a device.

In blockchain hashing is a cryptographic method of encrypting a data, a set of data or a block with hexadecimal figures in a manner that they become difficult to understand and the data they secure women's secured for a long period of time because the decrypting it need intense and complex calculations with some aided factors

• Smart Contracts: These are automated lines of code with the terms of the agreement directly written to solve or perform action without the help of human. They automatically execute this actions like verification of key's, confirm transaction, solving small issues on the blockchain etc. This smart contact in the centralized word are very similar to the artificial intelligence programs or software we see in almost every application or web applications.

• The Propagation Stage: When a blockchain user triggers a transaction or created a data, this data or transaction data are broadcasted to all active nodes on the network. When received by the node the transaction are added to a pool of all unconfirmed transactions known as the mempool. Although very efficient and effective node or blockchain don't need mempool, because of all nodes are always active they wouldn't be need for storing this blocks

• The Verification Stage:

Nodes on the network have the duties of validating the transaction to confirm if they meets the necessary conditions, for example it checks if the blocks has a valid digital signature, the sufficient funds. If you try making a post without Steem power you must have seen an error code asking you to power up, that's because the post didn't meet verification conditions.

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• Inclusion in a Block: Validated transactions or data are grouped together In a block by validators, miners, representative or witness, the names varies in different blockchains that has different consensus mechanisms this is because they do almost similar job just in a different procedures or method.

• Block Creation: this Witnesses validators minus or representatives are then asked or required to solve specific computerized slash mathematical algorithms. Whenever this algorithm is successfully created or solved a block is then assigned to that witness, validator, minner.

• Adding block to blockchain and final confirmation.: After everything the verified block is linked to the existing blockchain. This is done to arrange this data in orderly manner for reference sake. Also this data are tagged with a reference hash from the previous block on the blockchain, this actions make the block also impossible to permanently delete.

Whenever the blockchain is successfully added, the confirmation of the block done to know how many blocks exist in a block, this data is very important in know how irreversible the blockchain can be, the more confirmed block the harder it is to reverse the block.

The Steem blockchain operates with a very special and unique consensus mechanism known as the Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism. In steem consensus mechanism, the stakeholders who power ups steem as steem power in the blockchain usually vote in a set of capable nodes which are called witnesses, these witness are responsible for the production and and validation of the block for example @justyy. These witnesses help in the maintaining the integrity, efficiency, effectiveness and security of the blockchain. Also the witness acts as monitors for sequencing transaction on steem blockchain.

Most importantly these Steem blockchain sequencers responsible for determining the arrangements of the blockchain's transactions are that are in the blocks. This task is a very crucial one because it's used for ensuring the efficient operation of the blockchain's with out unnecessary bug's or interruptions.

One of the major activities of the Steem blockchain sequencer is that the use a unique dynamic records scheduling algorithm, unlike other blockchain networks where transactions are sorted to based on their transaction fees, or the source of the transaction data. The Steem sequencer uses a very more complex approach, It checks so many technical factors to find the importance, that don't favor partiality when sequencing the transaction.

The unique and dynamic nature of the steem scheduling algorithm allows the Steem blockchain to adapt to change in a node without causing any serious issues or crashing cases. Also it is very wonderful because it's known to sort transactions on the blockchain accordingly. For example, if the steem blockchain is experiencing a very high network congestion, it's the job of the steem sequencer to give priority to transactions with transaction size to prevent a possible crashing or deadlock.

Another very important duties of the Steem blockchain sequencer is the ability to carefully distribute of rewards within the Steem blockchain. They are known with the responsibility to equally schedule the right ratio a content creator or an investor receives from reward pool.

When a user curate a quality post on steem blockchain, the steem blockchain sequencer also determines when every vote will be added into the steem blockchain. This scheduling helps in monitoring all the curated votes are counted correctly without cheating and partiality, and that rewards are distributed rightly and the right percentage or ratio.

There are different type of consensus mechanisms that are there in the crypto ecosystem but for the sake of this article I will just talk about few of the most famous and most used consensus mechanisms in various blockchain.

• Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS):

This is one of the most unique consensus mechanism this is because it was formed to solve major issues other consensus mechanisms experience such as high energy consumption slow speed procession partiality or even abuse of power on any blockchain technology.

This contest mechanism is focused on voting in the Witnesses who have been charge of the verifications, management, linking and the orderliness of blocks on the blockchain. Unlike the proof of stake consensus mechanism, the Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) the investors who stake their assets automatically get the right to vote in a credible witness for the blockchain.

This witnesses are entitled with the powers of coordinating the activities of the blockchain like adding the traduction record into design blocks, solving the complex mathematical algorithms to create blocks, adding the verified and confirmed blocks into the blockchain and perform the duties of a blockchain sequencer by properly assigning the right amount of curation vote and authors votes after a post gets expired.

• Delegated Proof of Work (POW):

The proof of work consensus mechanism as its name implies has to do with your efficiency and how much work you perform on the blockchain before you could be become a validator or minor. In the proof of work consensus mechanism possession of data and validation of blocks are quite slower and that is because validators have to compete with each other by working harder and smarter in the encryptions of those complex mathematical algorithms.
This is because whoever encrypt the complex mathematical problem gets to create the Block and end the rewards that comes with it.

Despite is slow performance it is known as one of the best and oldest blockchain consensus mechanism this is because it was used in the creation of Bitcoin and ethereum before ethereum to a different consensus mechanism.

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Despite the fact that it is known for a slowness it is also known for being the best decentralized blockchain, most successful blockchain also we can also see technically it is the most safest blockchain because it has more confirmed blocks than any other blockchain because it existed before any other blockchain came into existence some even call it the father of all blockchains.

• Proof of stake:

This consensus mechanism known as the proof of stake was developed to solve the scalability issues seen in proof of work consensus mechanism, the blockchain consensus mechanism is known with the ability of staking assets . The most influential and powerful people on the blockchain are those that stick their assets or freeze their assets on the blockchain.

There are so many rewards for staking your assets on this blockchain consensus mechanism and one of that rewards is it's improve is your chances of becoming a validator on the blockchain also you get mouth watering rewards for staking your assets on the blockchain. This blockchain is known to be faster than the proof of work blockchain consensus mechanism and that is because validators here don't compete to validate a block a get rewarded.

• Full Nodes:
As the name implies the Full nodes are very important nodes on a blockchain network because the manage and mantain a complete copy of the whole blockchain generated ledger. The Full nodes saves all the transaction that have ever happened on a blockchain, making it most valuable because it acts as the complete backup in case of emergency.

When talking about how the help in sequencing, Full nodes play a important role in process of verification and distribution of transactions across the blockchain node. When a new transaction is broadcasted to the all nodes in the network, full nodes firstly collects it and confirm its authenticity by making sure it passes all the rules of the blockchain's consensu mechanism. If it's confirms that the transaction matches and meet all goals and rules of the consensus mechanism it then forwards it throughout the network.

The full node on a do not fully participate in the mining or printing of cryptocurrency in the blockchain because it mean goal and purpose is to help improve the blockchain security enhance the health and ensure the corporations with the existing rule protecting the blockchain technology.

• Light Nodes :
As the name implies Light nodes, also known as lesser nodes, because they turn out to be the light node when compared to the a full nodes because they don't do not store the entire blockchain data. Instead they only save the block headers and a subset of transactions for the sake of easy accessibility.

When it comes to the transaction sequencing Light nodes basically acts as a clients for users who do not need a full copy of the blockchain, because of their CPU and power consumption. They are usually found in the wallets because
it's storage space and bandwidth are smaller. The light node fully depends on the full node so confirm and verify the authenticity of a transaction before the work on it.

• Mining Nodes:

Unlike the other notes I have spoken about above the mining node is very much different from the full node and the light node, because those other node focus on the security maintenance authentication and verification of transactions as backup and address backup to find any transaction or store any transaction on the blockchain

The mining node as the name implies focuses more on the creation of block and sequences the arrangement and order of every record on any block to maintain it accountability and orderliness, also they helping the verification of blocks and mining the rewards from the reward pool to the desired or deserve winners with the right proportion.

The mining node is also as important as other note on the blockchain this is because the help in the verification of block and confirmation of this blocks which are times are very difficult and needs high level mathematical knowledge to understand those harsh.

When talking about government on this platform two things comes to my mind, first of all I think about the Witnesses who verified our block and maintain the blockchain, this set off government are rarely seen interacting with other users because they are always busy maintaining the blockchain and spend less time creating quality content.

The order set of government that comes to my mind when government was mentioned here is the Steem team, these are another set of government that helped regulate monitor has supervised the activity that happens physically on the blockchain, it compromise of steemcurator01 steemcurator02 and other steemcurators and steemblog.

Talking about steem the decentralization I would probably say I am contended with the structure and the format they steam team are running this platform and I would love to you this opportunity to say good thank you to everyone of them. The witness are voted in by members of the platform who have steem powers so therefore the witness on the the platform needed investors votes to keep them In their position.

Before I will continue I would love to define the term decentralization, from my knowledge I would say that decentralization is the act of of distributing sharing or delegating the powers and control of an platform between every member of the platform this is done to prevent having a platform where everything is controlled by a single node or a centralized system

A reference to my definition above I would say that steem is fully decentralized, this is because everyone on the platform has freedom to do whatever they like as long as it is not causing nuisance or breaking the laws of the platform. For my on my experience it's obvious that I write my articles at my own will, redraw my rewards at my own will, stake my reward at my own will and participate in the platform at my own will, this is a true example that prove steemit is a decentralized platform.

Steam blockchain has so many witnesses but only top 20 are full time witness, although the number 21 witness is marked as a backup full time witness that would be called upon if any of the top 20 experience a serious issues.

The major importance for decentralization is to defeat the traditional centralized method whereby all activities happening on a platform is controlled by a singular admin or a single node which could causes them to behave any way they like against other members of the platform, because they have admin privileges, on a decentralized platform everyone gains full privilege right to participate in the growth and the government of the platform. For example as long as you have the required knowledge to run a witness node you have every right to become a witness on steem blockchain

In summary decentralization and the government on this platform is focused at achieving one thing which is creating orderliness and a platform whereby everyone is treated equally, free from partiality and making sure they platform hit its main goal at a short period of time.

The government on the platform helps in making sure that everyone gets their right amount of reward of time period of time the stabilize and maintain the blockchain in a format that looks so complex for people with little knowledge on crypto witness activities.

Talking about the government on this platform is really nice because they help regulate the activities on the blockchain and also help in The curation of articles on the blockchain. Because sometime I do imagine how this platform would be without their support, some whales, orcas and dolphins would mistreat those who have lower steem power and act partially towards them.

The government helps in properly creating a structure for transaction sequencing, this is done by properly arranging and orderly imputing transaction data into the blocks of the blockchain, that's is to say whenever a block is created by this government which are called The witness. this record are then stored permanently in this block which eventually would be added to the main chain.

In my opinion I will say that influence on the platform is really positive and it has made the platform very much organized that it would have been without them, because of their fair ways and judgement, high steem power and influence they help other people to participate more on the platform and they have generated more influence than anyone on the platform.

Talking about transaction sequencing the witness on steam blockchain I really helpful when it comes to sequencing transaction on the blockchain this is because they are the only ones who qualified for the job. They help him sequencing the transaction and keeping them in orderly manner that would help the platform work effectively and efficiently.

Talking about the security of the blockchain this witness do a great job in helping account owners recover their lost account whenever they are called upon. Although they don't have power to manipulate your account without your owner's key and that is why I believe steem is fully built on a decentralized network whereby nobody has authority over your account.

For example, although I don't have the pictures again sometimes two years ago I help a friend recover his old account he lost because he ignorantly clicked a phishing link that wanted to use his data to steal his data. I reported the case to him recovery account and the witness in charge gave him smart advise to recover his account

In conclusion I would say this is a lovely contest because it opened my eyes to see more about the witness and every government we have on steem blockchain also I learned more about all the consensus mechanism we have now.

_{thanks for going through remember STARRCHIS cares ❤️, I want to invite @sammie @jueco @ruthjoe}