Blockchain, or chain of blocks, is a digital technology used to securely and transparently store and transfer data. This technology resembles an immutable digital ledger, where transactions are recorded in blocks linked to each other in a sequential and encrypted manner. These records are distributed across a network of computers, making it difficult to alter or manipulate them without the consent of all participants in the network.
The idea of blockchain first emerged in 1991 when researchers Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta proposed a system for documenting digital documents with a cryptographic timestamp to ensure their integrity and prevent tampering. In 2008, an individual or group under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto presented a research paper describing an electronic cash system based on blockchain technology, leading to the launch of Bitcoin in 2009, which was the first practical application of blockchain technology.