In computer science, a client is a piece of software or hardware (or an individual using such tools) that connects to the server in a client-server relationship, or to the rest of the network in a peer-to-peer environment. It allows end-users to remotely interact with other entities over the Internet.
In the cryptocurrency industry, software clients are used to connect to and interact with the blockchain network. As part of their operation, clients communicate with other nodes on the network.
Cryptocurrency clients are employed in numerous use cases. One of these is for miners, software that manages the operation of its user’s mining equipment and communicates the calculated hashes to the blockchain network.
Another example is a wallet, which allows users to deposit, store, send, receive and withdraw cryptocurrency coins and tokens. These often come with streamlined graphical user interfaces (GUIs) which allow even relatively unsophisticated users to easily manage their crypto funds.
There are also block explorers, which are used to access blockchain data, such as block height, current hashrate, overall transaction volume and individual transactions and more in a format that is easily readable by a human.
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