Why is the longest block the one that gets accepted by all the nodes?
Why is the longest block the one that gets accepted by all the nodes? I'm confused about one of the core principles of Bitcoin. When various nodes are confirming transactions, why does the longest block win out? That is, why doesn't the system allow whoever confirms a transaction or group of transactions first be the block that all the other nodes accept? I realize there has to be some logic in the situation where two nodes submit confirmations at the same time, but what problems would get introduced if the node that confirmed a group of transactions first, regardless of the size of the block, win? http://ift.tt/2Bt2hLu