A transaction from intent to settlement
A transaction is a proposed state change. Signing, broadcasting, inclusion, execution and finality are separate stages with different failure modes.
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THE INTERACTIVE FIELD GUIDE
Follow a transaction from intent to finality.
Step through signing, broadcast, validation, inclusion and finality, with rejected, delayed and reorganized paths.
Enable JavaScript to use this simulation. Read its assumptions and related explanations below.
READ THE MODEL
Assumptions & scope
- An account-based transfer has one sender, one recipient and one illustrative combined fee.
- The simulator creates no keys, wallets or signed transactions.
- Reorganization occurs before finality; the walkthrough does not imply that finalized blocks routinely reverse.
- Contract reverts, gas estimation and chain-specific fee splits are excluded.
Ethereum.org contributors · Ethereum transactions ↗Checked 13 Nov 2026
Understand the moving parts
All labs ↗Digital signatures
A signature lets a network check that an instruction was authorized by a key, without receiving that secret key.
Nodes and independent verification
Nodes run the rules, exchange information and reconstruct network state. Running a node is different from producing blocks or earning staking rewards.
Finality and confirmations
Finality describes the strength of settlement under a network’s assumptions. A transaction can be visible, included and successful before it is considered final.