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

Staking has been part of the crypto universe for nearly a decade, rewarding users who lock up a stash of tokens in order to help operate a blockchain network. —Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025

Tokenization refers to the process of creating a digital version of a real-world asset – for example, a stock, bond or real-estate deed – on a blockchain, or decentralized network. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025

Their primary function, to record pictures and store them on the blockchain, will cease after three years, Winkelmann explained. —Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025

As blockchain provides transparent verification for digital transactions, similar architectures are being explored for medical records and biometric data. —Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2011, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blockchain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• butane
• campaign
• cetane