# Hash chain

A structure that links each event to its predecessor cryptographically: every event carries the previous hash and its own hash over a canonical serialization, so altering any historical record breaks the chain at that point.

- Source: [Ledgerbook glossary](/glossary/)
- Related: [Accounting data layer](/glossary/accounting-data-layer/), [Ledger of record](/glossary/ledger-of-record/), [Bitemporal ledger](/glossary/bitemporal-ledger/)