Decentralized Ledger Technology

Definition ∞ Decentralized Ledger Technology, or DLT, represents a system of digital records maintained across multiple participants without a central administrator. Blockchain is a prominent type of DLT, but the term also encompasses other distributed data structures. DLT offers enhanced security, transparency, and immutability for recording transactions and asset ownership. It forms the foundational layer for most cryptocurrencies and digital assets.
Context ∞ The state of DLT adoption extends beyond cryptocurrencies, with governments and corporations exploring its utility for supply chain management, identity verification, and financial settlements. Discussions frequently address the scalability challenges inherent in many DLT implementations and the energy consumption concerns associated with certain consensus mechanisms. A critical future development involves the ongoing research and deployment of more energy-efficient and scalable DLT solutions, including various sharding and layer-2 protocols.