<p>New full nodes verify both blocks and transactions within those blocks. New SPV clients verify only block headers.</p>

<p>Bitcoin Core avoids checking signatures on blocks before the most recent checkpoint. Checking signatures is one of the most time-consuming parts of checking a block. (As of writing, the last checkpoint was on April 2014, 2.5 years ago.) This can be disabled by setting the option <code>checkpoints=0</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-08T15:40:09.697Z
what about checkpoints? how are they used?
amaclin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-08T19:16:41.957Z
@amaclin Good point. Edited.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-08T15:25:41.453Z
2016-09-08T19:16:28.737Z
2016-09-08T19:16:28.737Z
Nick ODell
<p>When a node downloads the genesis and all blocks, does it verify all past transactions, or just the blocks (eg check the nonce/hash relation, thereby assuming the containing transactions must be right?)</p>

<transaction-verification><genesis-block>
Does a new nodes verify all transactions or only blocks
BlockChange
# Does a new nodes verify all transactions or only blocks

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-08)

When a node downloads the genesis and all blocks, does it verify all past transactions, or just the blocks (eg check the nonce/hash relation, thereby assuming the containing transactions must be right?)

**Tags:** transaction-verification, genesis-block


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-09-08. Score: 1

New full nodes verify both blocks and transactions within those blocks. New SPV clients verify only block headers.

Bitcoin Core avoids checking signatures on blocks before the most recent checkpoint. Checking signatures is one of the most time-consuming parts of checking a block. (As of writing, the last checkpoint was on April 2014, 2.5 years ago.) This can be disabled by setting the option `checkpoints=0`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: what about checkpoints? how are they used?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Good point. Edited.  

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