<blockquote>
  <p>the blockchain is a linked list structure, but the transaction chain is a DAG, that means that bitcoin works a bit like Git?</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Linked Lists and Directed Acyclic Graphs</h1>

<p>No, </p>

<p>Lots of software uses linked lists and directed acyclic graphs. That doesn't make the resulting applications similar. These are very common and basic data structures.</p>

<p>What makes Blockchain interesting is the use of cryptography to create a replicated trustless record.</p>

<p>What makes Git interesting is the facilities for concurrent collaborative work on multiple branches of a partially replicated repository with the ability to merge and rollback changes etc.</p>

<p>These are too dissimilar to be compared meaningfully.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Cryptographic authentication of history</h2>

<p>One thing Git does that is reminiscent of Blockchain is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git#Characteristics" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The Git history is stored in such a way that the ID of a particular version (a commit in Git terms) depends upon the complete development history leading up to that commit. Once it is published, it is not possible to change the old versions without it being noticed. The structure is similar to a Merkle tree, but with added data at the nodes and leaves.[35] (Mercurial and Monotone also have this property.)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Note that other applications do this too.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-25T13:29:54.507Z
I mean more in the sense that both of them take snapshots in time of a particular state of some-thing (a website or accounting records), which can be always be reconstructed (to see the state of that thing at a desired point in time).
timhc22
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-25T17:10:04.487Z
@timhc22: I've updated my answer but I don't think you can conclude much from this.
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-25T12:20:15.460Z
2019-06-25T17:08:17.560Z
2019-06-25T17:08:17.560Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>In a way, yes.  Each block contains the differences of each address and the result becomes the current UTXO set.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-24T18:39:04.383Z
2019-06-24T18:39:04.383Z
benthecarman
<p>So the blockchain is a linked list structure, but the transaction chain is a DAG, that means that bitcoin works a bit like Git?</p>

<blockchain>
Does blockchain work like Git?
timhc22
# Does blockchain work like Git?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-24)

So the blockchain is a linked list structure, but the transaction chain is a DAG, that means that bitcoin works a bit like Git?

**Tags:** blockchain


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-25. Score: 1

> the blockchain is a linked list structure, but the transaction chain is a DAG, that means that bitcoin works a bit like Git?

# Linked Lists and Directed Acyclic Graphs

No,

Lots of software uses linked lists and directed acyclic graphs. That doesn't make the resulting applications similar. These are very common and basic data structures.

What makes Blockchain interesting is the use of cryptography to create a replicated trustless record.

What makes Git interesting is the facilities for concurrent collaborative work on multiple branches of a partially replicated repository with the ability to merge and rollback changes etc.

These are too dissimilar to be compared meaningfully.

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## Cryptographic authentication of history

One thing Git does that is reminiscent of Blockchain is [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git#Characteristics):

> The Git history is stored in such a way that the ID of a particular version (a commit in Git terms) depends upon the complete development history leading up to that commit. Once it is published, it is not possible to change the old versions without it being noticed. The structure is similar to a Merkle tree, but with added data at the nodes and leaves.[35] (Mercurial and Monotone also have this property.)

Note that other applications do this too.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I mean more in the sense that both of them take snapshots in time of a particular state of some-thing (a website or accounting records), which can be always be reconstructed (to see the state of that thing at a desired point in time).  
> **username_1**: @username_0: I've updated my answer but I don't think you can conclude much from this.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-06-24. Score: 1

In a way, yes. Each block contains the differences of each address and the result becomes the current UTXO set.


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