In blockchain technology, a candidate block is a proposed block that has been created by a miner and is being broadcast to the network for verification and validation.
When a miner successfully solves the cryptographic puzzle and finds a valid block, it becomes the candidate block for the next block in the blockchain. This candidate block contains a set of transactions and a cryptographic hash of the previous block, which provides a secure link between the current block and the previous one.
Once a candidate block is broadcast to the network, other nodes and miners begin the process of validating and verifying the block. The validation process involves checking that the transactions in the candidate block are valid and comply with the rules of the blockchain network. The verification process involves confirming that the hash of the previous block in the candidate block matches the hash of the previous block in the blockchain.
If the candidate block is valid and the hash of the previous block matches, it is added to the blockchain as the next block in the sequence. This process is known as consensus and is what ensures that all nodes on the network have a synchronized and accurate copy of the blockchain.
In summary, a candidate block is a proposed block that has been created by a miner and is being verified and validated by the network. It contains a set of transactions and a hash of the previous block, which provides a secure link to the previous block. Once validated and verified, the candidate block becomes the next block in the blockchain.