GlossaryIntermediate
Genesis Block
The very first block ever created on a blockchain.
The genesis block is the first block in a blockchain's history, from which every later block ultimately traces back. It typically has no previous block to reference and is often hard-coded into the network's software.
Because every subsequent block links back through the chain, the genesis block effectively anchors the entire history of the network.
Examples
- Bitcoin's genesis block was mined in January 2009 and included a short embedded text message.
- A network's genesis block has a block height of zero.