** Hashing in Blockchain Technology **

Hashing in blockchain technology is a fundamental pillar of security, immutability, and data integrity.

It is a process that takes the size of any input ( data, file, or entire ledger ) and converts it into a fixed-size string of characters ( a sequence of letters and numbers ) which are many in number ( this string of characters is called a digital fingerprint 🫆.

I don't want to write a long explanation but rather use a real-life example from our daily lives so that people can better understand how hashing works in the blockchain system.

Why is hashing called by these terms:

• One-way mathematical function
• Easy to calculate
• Very difficult to reverse

Most blockchain networks use the SHA-256 )Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit( algorithm. No matter how much data you give it for hashing, it will produce exactly a 64 hexadecimal character output.

Now, let's take an example: hashing )IBRAHIM( is this 👇

024487a29e42a1bf72748af9a6d4631385176699505d6593307b5aca07c4930d

What makes hashing a )One-way mathematical function( is that it is impossible for anyone to use this 👇
024487a29e42a1bf72748af9a6d4631385176699505d6593307b5aca07c4930d

and turn it back into the original 👉 IBRAHIM.

This is the way: once done, it cannot be reversed.

An everyday life example:

A person has:

Banana
Barbary
Apple
Milk
Sour Lemon
Honey or sugar

They combine these into one place and blend them )blending(, and now it becomes what is called a Smoothie or Shake.

Can it now be reversed to get back the original items? )It cannot be(

Or imagine mixing tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, Maggi, salt, water, chili, and others to make a soup 🍲, can these ingredients be restored to their original form? )It cannot be(.

That’s how hashing works: once done, it’s irreversible, which is why it’s called )One-way mathematical function(.

Secondly, the term )Easy to calculate( means there is no difficulty in generating the hash data; it happens within seconds.

Just like blending fruits in a blender, it takes a very short time to produce a smoothie without much effort.

The third reason why it is called )very difficult or impossible to reverse is because, as explained earlier, it is impossible to revert the hashed data or the ingredients used in making the soup back to their original form.

This is a brief explanation.

But it’s not just about the internet 🤔.

So, how do nodes verify hashes to confirm their authenticity once miners or validators propose a new block 🤔🤔?

Let’s combine this in the next writing...

You can try this link in the comment section. Enter any data to see how hashing works on the blockchain in real time 👇👇👇.

Credit: Ibrahim S Kamina