Gadgetory

what is block change blockchain is a network of computers that police's itself so people or businesses can cooperate without fear that somebody is tampering with the data today most data is sealed up at a central organization like a bank or the Department of Motor Vehicles blockchain moves that information to a decentralized shared network of computers maybe even thousands of them to create an open transparent and mutable database that data could include everything from sales transactions to medical records it's called a blockchain because computers periodically collect transactions into groups called blocks each block gets a digital fingerprint called a hash and each new blocks hash is cryptographically linked to the previous blocks hash basically forming an unbreakable chain any tampering with the transaction is easily detected and rejected because it messes up the hash not only of the block that's in but also every other block added afterward if a tampered block is on your computer the rest of the blockchain network just ignores it in the future for instance there may be a blockchain network for concert ticket sales you want to buy a ticket from a stranger somebody you might not trust in the real world the blockchain takes care of confirming that the original owner is legitimate hasn't sold the ticket already and that you're the new owner then the network locks the data many companies are investing in blockchain and many more are investigating it Walmart is testing blockchain so it can quickly pull contaminated food from store shelves in De Beers is tracking diamonds so you can be sure those anniversary earrings didn't fund somebody's war you might not notice blockchain as it makes businesses run more smoothly but more directly it should bring you peace of mind