Target
The target is a 256 bit hash that all Bitcoin clients share. The SHA-256 hash of a block’s hash must be lower than or equal to the current target for a generated block of transactions to be accepted as valid by the Bitcoin network (and eventually, get posted onto the blockchain).
The target is an important part of setting Bitcoin’s difficulty. The target changes roughly every 2,016 blocks (appx. 2 weeks) during the difficulty adjustment.
Links
- Target – Bitcoin Wiki
- Target – Learn Me a Bitcoin