Ledger
An immutable, distributed digital record of transactions maintained across network nodes.
What is Ledger?
A blockchain ledger is a decentralized database appending timestamped blocks via consensus, ensuring tamper-proof history—e.g., Bitcoin’s 900 GB chain records 1 billion+ transactions since 2009. Each block (1-4 MB) links via hashes, with Merkle trees verifying contents efficiently.
Distributed across nodes, it uses P2P replication for fault tolerance, contrasting centralized ledgers like Visa’s SQL databases prone to single-point failures. Consensus like PoW (Bitcoin: 144 blocks/day) or PoS (Ethereum: 32 slots/epoch) prevents double-spends.
Related Terms
TVL (Lending)
Total value of digital assets locked in DeFi lending protocols for borrowing and lending activities.
Mainnet
The primary, public blockchain network where real-world transactions and digital assets are processed.
Mining and Miner
Mining is the process of validating transactions and adding new blocks to a blockchain by solving computational puzzles, and a miner is who performs this task to earn rewards.
Maintenance Margin
The minimum collateral required to keep a leveraged position open.
US Inflation Rate
The percentage increase in the general price level over a year, primarily measured by CPI at 2.9% for August 2025.
WAGMI
An acronym for "We’re All Gonna Make It," expressing optimism and camaraderie in the digital asset community about achieving financial or project success.