In the context of cryptocurrencies, the process of capturing the state of a blockchain at a specific block height is frequently referred to as taking a snapshot. In this instance, the snapshot captures the entirety of the blockchain ledger, including all of the current addresses and the information linked with them.
Prior to each round of an airdrop event, snapshots are frequently employed. Tokens are given during an airdrop based on the balance of each blockchain address. In this instance, snapshots are made to capture each token holder’s balance at a certain moment in time. Most of the time, users can shift their funds after the snapshot without jeopardizing their ability to take part in that distribution round.
During blockchain hard forks, snapshots are crucial because they indicate the block height at which the main chain will be recorded before the genesis of a new chain.