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Title: What are checkpoints? Post by: jukka on May 15, 2014, 02:55:14 PM With some wallets you sometimes see a warning that "checkpoint too old" and with some coins the new wallet contains "the latest check points"?
Could somebody explain me what are these checkpoints? Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: stevegreer on May 15, 2014, 03:16:55 PM The way I understand it, and the simplest way to explain it, is that checkpoints are kinda like saves in a game (sorry, I'm not a gamer, so I don't know exactly what it is called). A checkpoint is a certain point in the blockchain that is saved which will allow all users to revert to in the case of something like a 51% attack so they don't lose too much of the blockchain. Maybe someone can explain it better, but that's how I understand it.
Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: jukka on May 15, 2014, 05:09:51 PM Does anybody have more specific explanation?
Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: Joe_Bauers on May 15, 2014, 05:24:05 PM The way I understand it, and the simplest way to explain it, is that checkpoints are kinda like saves in a game (sorry, I'm not a gamer, so I don't know exactly what it is called). Funny enough, saves in a game are usually called..... checkpoints ;) As for the description: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Checkpoint_Lockin Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: jukka on May 15, 2014, 05:32:19 PM The way I understand it, and the simplest way to explain it, is that checkpoints are kinda like saves in a game (sorry, I'm not a gamer, so I don't know exactly what it is called). Funny enough, saves in a game are usually called..... checkpoints ;) As for the description: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Checkpoint_Lockin Thanks, will go thru these... Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: stevegreer on May 15, 2014, 05:42:21 PM Does anybody have more specific explanation? Jeez, sorry guy. Made it too simple for you did I? Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: PereguineBerty on May 15, 2014, 05:48:00 PM @stevegreer
What you posted was an excellent simile which was perfect for somebody who didn't seem able to use Google or the search function in here. Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: jukka on May 15, 2014, 05:49:47 PM Does anybody have more specific explanation? Jeez, sorry guy. Made it too simple for you did I? I littlebit, but thanks anyway! I appreciate it! Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: stevegreer on May 15, 2014, 05:54:48 PM @stevegreer What you posted was an excellent simile which was perfect for somebody who didn't seem able to use Google or the search function in here. Thanks! @jukka, I was just messing with you. I wasn't offended at all. :) Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: r0ach on May 15, 2014, 06:11:41 PM Bitcoin uses checkpoints to stop people from creating low difficulty side chains as an annoyance/attack vector. PoS coins use it to stop block chain reorgs in general.
Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: YarkoL on May 15, 2014, 06:18:22 PM Yep.. the "offficial" reason for
checkpoints is to ward off situation where someone starts to mine either mistakenly or maliciously low difficulty blocks, thus forking the earlier part of the chain. The presence of checkpoints enable other clients to reject these forked blocks and not waste time storing and processing them. More info here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=194078.0 Title: Re: What are checkpoints? Post by: jukka on May 15, 2014, 06:27:23 PM Thank you everybody!
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