To check the actual status of the Bitcoin network, you would look at:
Previous Block Hash: A cryptographic hash of the entire header of the preceding block. This is the crucial link that forms the "chain" and makes the blockchain immutable. If anyone tries to alter an old block, its hash changes, breaking the link to the next block, and invalidating the entire chain that follows.
Merkle Root: A single hash that summarizes all the transactions within that specific block. It's the root of a "Merkle Tree" (also called a hash tree), which allows for efficient verification of whether a transaction is included in a block without having to download all transactions.
Timestamp: The time the block was mined.
Nonce: The arbitrary number that miners adjust to find a valid block hash (the "Proof of Work").
Difficulty Target: A representation of the required difficulty for the block's hash.
Transactions: Below the header, the diagram will show multiple individual transactions (Tx1, Tx2, Tx3, etc.) contained within the block. The first transaction is always the Coinbase nursing homes email list Transaction, which awards the miner their block reward and collected transaction fees.
Block Hash: The unique cryptographic hash of the current block's header. This hash is then used as the "Previous Block Hash" for the next block in the chain.
Sequential Linking: Arrows or lines explicitly show each block pointing to the next, illustrating how Block N contains the hash of Block N-1, and Block N+1 contains the hash of Block N, and so on. This forms an unbroken, chronological ledger.