Hyperledger

Blockchain

A distributed, immutable digital ledger that records transactions across a network of computers without a central authority.

Distributed Ledger Technology

A digital system for recording, sharing, and synchronising data across multiple sites without a central administrator.

Consensus Mechanism

The method by which a distributed network agrees on the current state of the ledger and validates transactions.

Proof of Work

A consensus mechanism requiring computational effort to validate transactions and create new blocks, used by Bitcoin.

Proof of Stake

A consensus mechanism where validators are selected based on the amount of cryptocurrency they hold and stake.

Delegated Proof of Stake

A consensus mechanism where token holders vote for delegates who validate transactions on their behalf.

Byzantine Fault Tolerance

The ability of a distributed system to reach consensus despite some nodes acting maliciously or failing.

Merkle Tree

A hash-based data structure that efficiently verifies the integrity and consistency of large sets of data.

Hash Function

A mathematical function that converts input data of any size into a fixed-size output, used extensively in blockchain security.

Cryptographic Hash

A one-way function producing a fixed-length output that is computationally infeasible to reverse or find collisions for.

Public Key Cryptography

An encryption system using mathematically linked key pairs — a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.

Digital Signature

A cryptographic mechanism that verifies the authenticity and integrity of digital messages or documents.

Physical or traditional financial assets such as real estate, commodities, and securities that are represented as digital tokens on a blockchain for improved liquidity and accessibility.

A technical standard for implementing fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.

A separate blockchain connected to a main chain through a two-way bridge, allowing assets to move between them.

The property of blockchain data that prevents alteration or deletion once recorded on the ledger.

Financial services built on blockchain technology that operate without traditional intermediaries like banks or brokerages.

The process of using computational power to validate transactions and add new blocks to a proof-of-work blockchain.

A blockchain token where each unit is identical and interchangeable with any other unit of the same token.

A backward-compatible upgrade to a blockchain protocol where old nodes still recognise new blocks as valid.