BharatNotes Blockchain
noun (also attributive, as in "blockchain technology")Usage in a UPSC answer
By migrating land titles and procurement records onto a blockchain, the state can render bureaucratic transactions transparent and immutable, thereby curbing corruption and rebuilding citizens' trust in public institutions.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
blockchain (n), blockchains (n pl), blockchain-based (adj compound), on-chain (adj/adv)
Root
Coined/Modern: English block + chain; compound coined c. 2015, terms used separately in Nakamoto's 2008 Bitcoin whitepaper
Etymology
Coined from block + chain; Satoshi Nakamoto used the terms separately in the 2008 Bitcoin whitepaper, and the compound "blockchain" became standard by 2015 as the technology gained mainstream adoption.
Memory Hook
Picture data sealed in BLOCKS, each padlocked to the next in an unbreakable CHAIN - tamper with one link and the whole chain snaps, so the record stays honest.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
A distributed ledger in which records are grouped into blocks, cryptographically linked to their predecessors and replicated across many nodes, so that altering an entry would require altering every subsequent block across the network. The property that matters for GS3 is tamper-evidence rather than secrecy, which is why the credible public-sector applications are land records, supply-chain provenance and certificate verification. The honest qualification is that a blockchain guarantees a record has not been altered since entry, not that it was true when entered.
Don’t Confuse It With
Blockchain is the distributed tamper-evident ledger. Cryptocurrency is one application, not a synonym. A distributed ledger is the general category, of which blockchain is one design. A smart contract is self-executing code stored on such a ledger. Permissioned chains restrict who may validate, which is what most government use cases actually adopt.
Hindi Meaning
ब्लॉकचेन (blokchen); वितरित बहीखाता descriptively.
Common Questions
- What is blockchain?
- A distributed ledger in which records are stored in cryptographically linked blocks replicated across many nodes, making past entries tamper-evident.
- Does blockchain guarantee data is true?
- No. It guarantees a record has not been altered since it was entered. Whether the information was accurate at entry is a separate problem it does not solve.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2020 — IT & Cyber
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Blockchain” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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