Bitcoin Q&A: Block height, syncing, and validation

What is the purpose of the getblock command? Why would you need to know the block height? How do I see the balances of other addresses? Why can't we download a pre-synced copy of the blockchain without validating?

These questions are from the February monthly subscriber session and the fifth session of MOOC 11, which took place on February 23rd and March 1st 2019. If you want early-access to talks and a chance to participate in the monthly live Q&As with Andreas, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/aantonop

RELATED:
What is a private key? - https://youtu.be/xxfUpIV9wRI
Public keys vs. addresses - https://youtu.be/8es3qQWkEiU
Re-using addresses - https://youtu.be/4A3urPFkx8g
Cryptographic primitives - https://youtu.be/RIckQ6RBt5E
Derivation paths and watch-only wallets - https://youtu.be/tPCN3nDVzZI
Key storage best practices - https://youtu.be/A5I55aOgX2o
Key management and inheritance - https://youtu.be/W3XADagE6P8
Data integrity and validation of keys - https://youtu.be/LjbREINFrZk
Randomness and vanity address generation - https://youtu.be/6u1XEucEJ_A
Malicious updates and deterministic builds - https://youtu.be/eK8bgVeUEkM
SIGHASH_NOINPUT and custodial wallets - https://youtu.be/lnb4CE3boKk
Governance and social attack immunity - https://youtu.be/PjOHatoX6Fk
Wallets, nodes, and monetary sovereignty - https://youtu.be/8Hb3tUn8s4E

Andreas M. Antonopoulos is a technologist and serial entrepreneur who has become one of the most well-known and respected figures in Bitcoin. He is the author of “Mastering Bitcoin,” “The Internet of Money" series, and "Mastering Ethereum."

Follow on Twitter: @aantonop https://twitter.com/aantonop
Website: https://antonopoulos.com/

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MASTERING BITCOIN, 2nd Edition: https://amzn.to/2xcdsY9

Translations of MASTERING BITCOIN: https://bitcoinbook.info/translations-of-mastering-bitcoin/

THE INTERNET OF MONEY, v1: https://amzn.to/2ykmXFs
THE INTERNET OF MONEY, v2: https://amzn.to/2IIG5BJ

Translations of THE INTERNET OF MONEY:
Spanish, 'Internet del Dinero' (v1) - https://amzn.to/2yoaTTq
German, 'Das Internet des Geldes' (v1) - https://amzn.to/2LEiyqO
German, 'Das Internet des Geldes' (v2) - https://amzn.to/2VCzse5
French, 'L'internet de l'argent' (v1) - https://www.amazon.fr/Linternet-largent-Andreas-M-Antonopoulos/dp/2856083390
Russian, 'Интернет денег' (v1) - https://www.olbuss.ru/catalog/ekonomika-i-biznes/korporativnye-finansy-bankovskoe-delo/internet-deneg
Vietnamese, 'Internet Của Tiền Tệ' (v1) - https://alphabooks.vn/khi-tien-len-mang

MASTERING ETHEREUM: https://amzn.to/2xdxmlK

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Outro Graphics: Phneep (http://www.phneep.com/)
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