Then, van Wirdum and Provoost go on to explain how hash functions actually work in a little bit more detail. They discuss some aspects of the history and evolution of different hash functions, mention some hash functions that have indeed been broken over time and pinpoint which hash functions are used in Bitcoin.
Finally, van Wirdum and Provoost explain exactly how hash functions are used in Bitcoin. They point out that this includes almost every aspect of the Bitcoin system, ranging from transactions (in multiple ways) and blocks to addresses and the proof-of-work mechanism, as well as in relatively new upgrades like Taproot. Hash functions are even used to create some randomness needed to establish connections on the peer-to-peer network.
Listen to the whole episode to learn more about hash functions.
