blockchain

noun

block·​chain ˈbläk-ˌchān 

: a digital database containing information (such as records of financial transactions) that can be simultaneously used and shared within a large decentralized, publicly accessible network

also : the technology used to create such a database

The technology at the heart of bitcoin and other virtual currencies, blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way.

—Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani

Examples of blockchain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Over just a few hours, investors put $1.48 million into the $Tanzania token, which was listed on the Solana blockchain, according to Lookonchain, a blockchain analytics account, earlier today. —John Hyatt, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2025

Instead, the opportunities come from coins’ ability to help people use blockchain technology in new ways, for example in staking , stablecoin utilization, integration with payments, web3 , the use of digital wallets and the tokenization of traditional financial assets. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 1 Feb. 2025

Utilizing blockchain technology, fans are able to own a ‘bit’ of these songs and share in their success. —Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2025

Additionally, the autonomous AIs open their crypto to be traded with humans, creating a functioning market on the blockchain for all. —Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2011, in the meaning defined above