Blockchain

A blockchain, originally block chain, is a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data. By design, a blockchain is resistant to modification of the data.

Decentralization is the process of distributing and dispersing power away from a central authority. Most financial and governmental systems, which are currently in existence, are centralized, meaning that there is a single highest authority in charge of managing them, such as a central bank or state apparatus. There are several crucial disadvantages to this approach, stemming from the fact that any central authority also plays the role of a single point of failure in the system: any malfunction at the top of the hierarchy, whether unintentional or deliberate, inevitably has a negative effect on the entire system. Dimecoin was designed as a decentralized alternative to government money and therefore doesn’t have any single point of failure, making it more resilient, efficient and democratic. Its underlying technology, the Blockchain, is what allows for this decentralization, as it offers every single user an opportunity to become one of the network’s many payment processors.

Hash rate (sometimes called the hash power) is the speed at which a cryptocurrency mining device operates. To be successful at mining, speed is of the essence since the miner is trying to solve a question, add a block the the chain and reap the rewards before anyone else.