# Working Blockchains and Merkle Proofs Different participants in the Bitcoin ecosystem can maintain their own **transaction databases**, each accompanied by **Merkle proofs**. These are known as **Working Blockchains** — subsets of the total blockchain that retain the same **cryptographic integrity** through the **proof-of-work** applied to each block. Because all transactions are recorded in **Merkle Trees**, any party can quickly verify their local transaction set by simply checking the **Merkle proof** against another’s records. In the event of a **conflict** between transaction sets or Merkle roots, the BSV network reaches **consensus** to determine which version is valid. This ensures that all nodes agree on transaction order, preventing **double spends** and maintaining a **single source of truth**. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://hub.bsvblockchain.org/higher-learning/bsv-academy/bitcoin-primitives-merkle-trees/merkle-trees-in-bitcoin-and-bsv/working-blockchains-and-merkle-proofs.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.