Blockchain for Developers

A blockchain is a type of database used to store and organize information. Traditional databases arrange information into rows and columns that make up tables. This makes the information easy for computers to recognize. With blockchains, however, information is digitally formatted and collected into clusters or blocks. Each block has a limited storage capacity.

Once that capacity is reached, the block closes and links to the preceding block via cryptography, creating a chain. Cryptography creates an unchangeable timestamp when one block links to another. This permanent record verifies the accuracy of sensitive information like transactions. Traditional databases, on the other hand, are typically controlled by a central authority. Sensitive data may be managed and maintained by an organization or administrator.