blockchain
Americannoun
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a structure used for a distributed or shared database consisting of discrete blocks of data, with each new block secured and connected to earlier ones by cryptography: used to create digital ledgers for cryptocurrency systems, among other things.
Several schools now offer courses in the technology behind blockchain.
Under the scheme, farmers would add information about their produce to a blockchain database that could quickly pinpoint contamination.
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a distributed or shared database created and populated using a structure consisting of discrete blocks of data, with each new block secured and connected to earlier ones by cryptography.
Once the transaction gets verified, it's recorded in the blockchain.
Etymology
Origin of blockchain
First recorded in 2010–15; block ( def. ) + chain ( def. )
Explanation
A blockchain is a shared computer database that's mainly used for keeping records of cryptocurrency transactions. When someone buys or sells Bitcoin, they use a blockchain to safely record the details. A blockchain works like a shared spreadsheet, with data entered into separate cells or columns. The special thing about blockchain is that once information is put into each block, it can't be changed, making it an extremely secure way to store data. The name blockchain comes from the blocks of data, linked together in chains through cryptography.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sun said he gave crypto skeptic Buffett one bitcoin, as well as several Tron, the digital token of the blockchain he founded, during their meal in 2020.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Although bitcoin users don’t have to use their real names on the blockchain, its public ledger has made the token increasingly easy to trace.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Barron’s used an AI coding tool to query those blockchain data sets.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Morgan would use the controller’s office to develop a real-time reporting system that would use blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, allowing the public to review the price and recipients of contracts.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
It was unclear initially who placed the bet because the anonymous account had a blockchain identifier of letters and numbers.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
