Distributed ledger technology is the broader idea; a blockchain is one type of distributed ledger. The difference is mostly about how records are organised. A blockchain stores information in blocks linked with cryptographic techniques.
The terms are often used as if they mean exactly the same thing. They do not. Keeping the distinction clear helps when reading about cryptoassets and related technology.
What is a distributed ledger?
The FCA describes distributed ledger technology, or DLT, as a system for storing and managing information across participants in a network. It is a broad technical description. It does not by itself tell you whether a system is public, private, permissionless, secure or suitable for any purpose.
What makes a blockchain different?
A blockchain is a particular way to organise a distributed ledger. Records are grouped into blocks, and each block is connected to the preceding one with a cryptographic link. The FCA describes this linked-block structure in its explanation of the technology used by cryptoassets.
- Distributed ledger: a wider category of systems that distribute record keeping across network participants.
- Blockchain: a distributed-ledger design that arranges records in linked blocks.
- Bitcoin: a specific network that uses a public blockchain to record transactions.
A Bitcoin example
In Bitcoin, full nodes independently store blocks that they validate under Bitcoin’s consensus rules. The Bitcoin developer documentation describes the resulting blockchain as an ordered, timestamped record of transactions. This is an example of a particular network, not a definition of every distributed ledger.
What the distinction does not tell you
Neither label proves that a digital asset is genuine, valuable, safe or legally effective. It does not establish who made a claim, who owns a linked item or whether a website is reliable. Technical vocabulary is useful, but it is not evidence for those separate questions.
Read the crypto glossary for short definitions, or return to Crypto explained for the wider reading route.
Sources and scope
Sources: FCA Crypto: the basics; Bitcoin developer documentation on the block chain. This is educational information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Source check: 15 September 2026. Use the contact page to report an error with a source.