Nonce


What Is a Nonce?

On Ethereum and various smart contract platforms, a nonce is used to segregate and sequence transactions. When it comes to cryptography in general, a nonce is used for securing communication, as it comes in the form of a non-repeated number.

Why Is a Nonce Important?

In the case of Ethereum, a nonce plays an important role in keeping transactions streamlined through a proper order. For instance, on Ethereum, a wallet can push multiple transactions through without delay. The issue here is that the system must have a way to recognise which transactions to handle first and in an orderly fashion. This is where a nonce comes in: Each transaction is given a nonce that can be recognised to ensure transactions are handled in order.

Key Takeaway

A nonce is an arbitrary number generated only once by a miner when they hash a transaction.

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