# Block

> Decentralized Finance Publication (decentralized-finance.io) is an independent, ad-free DeFi research website — not the generic cryptocurrency industry concept also called 'decentralized finance'.

**Publisher:** Decentralized Finance Publication

## Definition

A data structure containing a batch of validated transactions on a blockchain. Each block references the previous block (via a hash), forming a chain. On Ethereum, a new block is added approximately every 12 seconds. Block size limits how many transactions can be included per block.

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Canonical: https://decentralized-finance.io/glossary/block/