Hello to the nice Stackoverflow community!
I have difficulties understanding the difference between the Merkle–Damgård construction and the sponge-function used in KECCAK. The Merkle–Damgård Construction takes in the message-blocks iteratively, but as of what I've found in descriptions, doesn't a sponge function do the same? Illustrations of both look quite similar and I just don't find an explanation I really understand. Can someone explain the difference somewhat easier?