Ethereum: Does blockchain.info have public messages built into the blockchain itself? [duplicate]

Ethereum: Is a Public Message at Blockchain.info Embedded in the Actual Block Chain?

When it comes to interacting with Ethereum, one of the most convenient features is the ability to add a public message to each transaction. This feature allows users to share additional information about their transactions, such as details about the assets being sent or received. However, many people may wonder whether this public message is embedded in the actual blockchain itself.

To understand the answer to this question, let’s dive into the inner workings of Ethereum and how messages are handled within the blockchain.

How Ethereum Works

Ethereum’s blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger that records all transactions across the network. It consists of blocks, which contain a list of transactions, known as a «block.» Each block has its own unique identifier (also referred to as a «hash») and is linked to previous blocks through a process called «merging.»

Public Messages: A Key Feature

One key feature of Ethereum that allows users to share additional information about their transactions is the ability to add public messages. These messages can be up to 1024 characters long and are appended to each block as a «transaction hash.» The message itself does not have any specific constraints on length or content.

Is the Public Message Embedded?

The question of whether the public message embedded in Ethereum’s blockchain is truly embedded, rather than just being appended, has sparked debate among developers and users. To understand this better, let’s look at how messages are formatted within a block:

{

    "transactionHash": sha256(

        "0x...Transaction Hash...", // The hash of the transaction itself.

        "blockNumber", // The number of the block being mined.

        "gasLimit",     // The gas limit specified in the transaction request. 

        "value",       // The value sent in this transaction, expressed as a hexadecimal number.

        "nonce",       // A random integer used to prevent re-election attacks

    ),

    "blockHash": sha256(

        "0x...Block Hash...", // The hash of the block itself.

        "timestamp",   // The timestamp at which the block was mined.

        "gasPrice",     // The gas price for this transaction.

        "nonce",       // A random integer used to prevent re-election attacks

    ),

    "transactionCount": 1,

    "txHash": sha256(

        "0x...Transaction Hash...", 

        "blockNumber",

        "timestamp",

        "gasPrice",

        "nonce"

    )

}

From this output, it is clear that the transactionHash contains not only the hash of the transaction but also additional information such as the block number and timestamp. This includes the gas price and nonce values.

Conclusion

While some may argue that the public message itself does not have a direct, embedded location within the blockchain (as it would be appended to each block), others contend that it is indeed «embedded» in the sense that its contents are part of the transaction’s information structure. The content of the message can vary widely and is typically not hardcoded into the blockchain but rather included as an append-only field.

The actual implementation might depend on how messages are formatted within blocks, but at a fundamental level, any additional information provided to users through this feature should indeed be considered embedded in some form within the block structure.