A block is the data archive of all transaction history made on a blockchain’s network within a given timeframe. Blocks are sequentially applied to a network’s data chain, forming the public database known as blockchain. A Bitcoin block, for example, includes information about the date, duration, and number of transfers, as well as signature information about the transfer’s origin and destination. Before a chain will begin transacting and generating new chains, blocks must be validated by the network by a consensus mechanism.