<blockquote>
  <p>If I received two blocks at the same time, which one should I choose
  to mine the next block?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Up to you. You can take the first one. Or the smallest one. Or known by the majority of your peers. Nobody cares.</p>

<p>In worst case you will mine the orphan chain. But nobody cares about you in decentralized system.</p>

<p>In fact you should compare two chains by <strong>total work</strong>. But this algorithm gives you poor results on comparing two latest blocks with the same height.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Is the situation could happend?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Depends on what you mean by "the same time". Sometimes the blocks with the same height happen. They came in few seconds ( up to 10-20 seconds ) one after another.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Is the Bitcoin pick one block randomly?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You can look to the source code on github. But this does not guarantee that the mining pools use it unmodified.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-29T08:39:34.800Z
2018-01-29T08:50:56.533Z
2018-01-29T08:50:56.533Z
amaclin
<p>You can choose the first one. Or the smaller one. Or choose the familiar one by the majority of your contemplate. No one cares. In lowest case you will mine the waif chain. But nobody cares about you in decentralized system. Literally, you should analyze two chains by total work. But this algorithm gives you bad results on comparing two latest blocks with the having same height. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-06T14:00:56.287Z
2018-03-06T14:00:56.287Z
rickeyroy
<p>Is the situation could happend?</p>

<p>If true, What's the role? Is the Bitcoin pick one block randomly?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-29T08:41:55.770Z
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=108864.msg1184007#msg1184007 I think this answers your question
Aditya
<bitcoin-core><blockchain><mining-pools>
If I received two blocks at the same time, which one should I choose to mine the next block?
lee
# If I received two blocks at the same time, which one should I choose to mine the next block?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-29)

Is the situation could happend?

If true, What's the role? Is the Bitcoin pick one block randomly?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, blockchain, mining-pools

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=108864.msg1184007#msg1184007 I think this answers your question  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-01-29. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

> If I received two blocks at the same time, which one should I choose
> to mine the next block?

Up to you. You can take the first one. Or the smallest one. Or known by the majority of your peers. Nobody cares.

In worst case you will mine the orphan chain. But nobody cares about you in decentralized system.

In fact you should compare two chains by **total work**. But this algorithm gives you poor results on comparing two latest blocks with the same height.

> Is the situation could happend?

Depends on what you mean by "the same time". Sometimes the blocks with the same height happen. They came in few seconds ( up to 10-20 seconds ) one after another.

> Is the Bitcoin pick one block randomly?

You can look to the source code on github. But this does not guarantee that the mining pools use it unmodified.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-03-06. Score: 0

You can choose the first one. Or the smaller one. Or choose the familiar one by the majority of your contemplate. No one cares. In lowest case you will mine the waif chain. But nobody cares about you in decentralized system. Literally, you should analyze two chains by total work. But this algorithm gives you bad results on comparing two latest blocks with the having same height.


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