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

The payments are public on the blockchain and could be tracked down by law enforcement. —Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026

Paul has a reputation for taking collectibles to extreme levels and has spent millions to secure some of the rarest items ever produced, including NFTs - unique, verifiable digital assets traded on the blockchain. —Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026

The blockchain analytics firm said most of the activity was linked to an expanding criminal ecosystem in Southeast Asia. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026

Such proofs can help people authenticate identities virtually, make online banking transactions, build blockchains, and more. —Peter Hall, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2026

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