What Is Blockchain Technology?


A blockchain is a highly secure, reliable, and decentralized network that allows people to record transaction activity, store data, and exchange value in a distributed ledger that is not controlled by any central authority, but instead maintained by computers all around the world.

Blockchain is the foundational technology that underpins the value proposition of the entire cryptocurrency/Web3 ecosystem. It’s the engine that secures Bitcoin and establishes the foundation for why smart contracts have value.

The fundamental value proposition of blockchains is the ability to exchange value in a trust-minimized, permissionless way that doesn’t require the intermediation of any third party. The most basic case possible to showcase this is payments or the transfer of funds from one party to another.

For example, let’s assume that Bob would like to send Alice a payment. Using legacy systems, Bob would send his payment to a third party—a bank or financial institution—that would take full custody of his funds and transfer those funds to Alice. In the case of blockchains, Bob sends money directly to Alice’s account without a centralized intermediary, but with full assurances that funds are transferred between accounts. The transaction takes place in a decentralized manner, without any intermediaries involved, enforced by deterministic processes secured by cryptography, encryption, math, and physics.

Blockchain overview

Blockchain defined: Blockchain is a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. An asset can be tangible (a house, car, cash, land) or intangible (intellectual property, patents, copyrights, branding). Virtually anything of value can be tracked and traded on a blockchain network, reducing risk and cutting costs for all involved.

Why blockchain is important: Business runs on information. The faster it’s received and the more accurate it is, the better. Blockchain is ideal for delivering that information because it provides immediate, shared and completely transparent information stored on an immutable ledger that can be accessed only by permissioned network members. A blockchain network can track orders, payments, accounts, production and much more. And because members share a single view of the truth, you can see all details of a transaction end to end, giving you greater confidence, as well as new efficiencies and opportunities.

Key elements of a blockchain


Distributed ledger technology

All network participants have access to the distributed ledger and its immutable record of transactions. With this shared ledger, transactions are recorded only once, eliminating the duplication of effort that’s typical of traditional business networks.

Immutable records

No participant can change or tamper with a transaction after it’s been recorded to the shared ledger. If a transaction record includes an error, a new transaction must be added to reverse the error, and both transactions are then visible.

Smart contracts

To speed transactions, a set of rules — called a smart contract — is stored on the blockchain and executed automatically. A smart contract can define conditions for corporate bond transfers, include terms for travel insurance to be paid and much more.

Benefits of Blockchain


What needs to change: Operations often waste effort on duplicate record keeping and third-party validations. Record-keeping systems can be vulnerable to fraud and cyberattacks. Limited transparency can slow data verification. And with the arrival of IoT, transaction volumes have exploded. All of this slows business, drains the bottom line — and means we need a better way. Enter blockchain.

Greater trust

With blockchain, as a member of a members-only network, you can rest assured that you are receiving accurate and timely data, and that your confidential blockchain records will be shared only with network members to whom you have specifically granted access.

Greater security

Consensus on data accuracy is required from all network members, and all validated transactions are immutable because they are recorded permanently. No one, not even a system administrator, can delete a transaction.

More efficiencies

With a distributed ledger that is shared among members of a network, time-wasting record reconciliations are eliminated. And to speed transactions, a set of rules — called a smart contract — can be stored on the blockchain and executed automatically.

Types of Blockchain Networks

There are several ways to build a blockchain network. They can be public, private, permissioned or built by a consortium.

Public blockchain networks

A public blockchain is one that anyone can join and participate in, such as Bitcoin. Drawbacks might include substantial computational power required, little or no privacy for transactions, and weak security. These are important considerations for enterprise use cases of blockchain.

Private blockchain networks

A private blockchain network, similar to a public blockchain network, is a decentralized peer-to-peer network. However, one organization governs the network, controlling who is allowed to participate, execute a consensus protocol and maintain the shared ledger. Depending on the use case, this can significantly boost trust and confidence between participants. A private blockchain can be run behind a corporate firewall and even be hosted on premises.

Permissioned blockchain networks

Businesses who set up a private blockchain will generally set up a permissioned blockchain network. It is important to note that public blockchain networks can also be permissioned. This places restrictions on who is allowed to participate in the network and in what transactions. Participants need to obtain an invitation or permission to join.

Consortium blockchains

Multiple organizations can share the responsibilities of maintaining a blockchain. These pre-selected organizations determine who may submit transactions or access the data. A consortium blockchain is ideal for business when all participants need to be permissioned and have a shared responsibility for the blockchain.

How do I recover if I forgot my password?

Unfortunately, we're unable to help you regain access to your wallet if you've lost or forgotten your password. This is because we don't have access to your wallet or your wallet password.

If you are getting the error message "Error decrypting wallet" when attempting to log in, then this means the password you're using is incorrect.

If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend trying two solutions: 

 Try to log in using every possible password combination you may have used.

Use your 12-word Secret Wallet Recovery Phrase (also known as a seed phrase).

Enter the phrase this form (https://login.blockchain.com/#/recover)  to create a new wallet that contains all the addresses and balances contained in your previous wallet.

Keep in mind that this process will not restore funds stored in any Imported Addresses.

If you still face Difficulty You can Contact Blockchain Customer Service

What if I am having trouble logging in?

What if I did not receive a verification email?


What are public and private keys in crypto?

Bitcoin, as well as all other major cryptocurrencies that came after it, is built upon public-key cryptography, a cryptographic system that uses pairs of keys: public keys, which are publicly known and essential for identification, and private keys, which are kept secret and are used for authentication and encryption.

Major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash function using three fundamental pieces of information: the address, associated with a balance and used for sending and receiving funds, and the address’ corresponding public and private keys. The generation of a bitcoin address begins with the generation of a private key. From there, its corresponding public key can be derived using a known algorithm. The address, which can then be used in transactions, is a shorter, representative form of the public key.

The private key is what grants a cryptocurrency user ownership of the funds on a given address. The Blockchain wallet automatically generates and stores private keys for you. When you send from a Blockchain wallet, the software signs the transaction with your private key (without actually disclosing it), which indicates to the entire network that you have the authority to transfer the funds on the address you’re sending from.

The security of this system comes from the one-way street that is getting from the private key to the public address. It is not possible to derive the public key from the address; likewise, it is impossible to derive the private key from the public key. In the Blockchain.com Wallet, your 12-word Secret Private Key Recovery Phrase is a seed of all the private keys of all the addresses generated within the wallet. This is what allows you to restore access to your funds even if you lose access to your original wallet. Using the recovery phrase will allow you to recover your crypto.