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Blockchain

Security

Distributed ledger maintained by consensus among network participants.

Definition

A blockchain is a distributed ledger where participants reach consensus on transaction ordering and state updates, often using cryptography and economic incentives.

In plain English Distributed ledger maintained by consensus among network participants.

Why this matters

Why it matters: Public ledgers can make activity traceable; privacy depends on design (addresses, mixers, zero-knowledge proofs).

Example

Example: Network validates transactions and appends new blocks to the chain under consensus rules.