Partial Output

Definition ∞ Partial output in blockchain technology primarily refers to an unspent transaction output (UTXO), which represents a specific amount of cryptocurrency remaining from a previous transaction. This amount is available for a user to spend in a future transaction. When a transaction occurs, existing UTXOs are consumed as inputs, and new UTXOs are created as outputs, including any change returned. This model tracks discrete units of value.
Context ∞ The UTXO model, central to Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies, ensures precise accounting of funds and prevents double-spending by requiring that only unspent outputs can be used as inputs for new transactions. Crypto news often discusses UTXO sets as an indicator of network activity or fund distribution. Understanding this concept is fundamental to grasping how value is managed on these distributed ledgers.