Block height is a numerical indicator of a block position relative to the beginning of a blockchain. In many networks, the genesis block has height 0 and each following block increases the height by one.

Height is used by nodes, explorers, wallets, and analytical systems to identify blocks and correlate events with a specific point in the chain history.

Height and confirmations

When a transaction is included in a block, subsequent blocks increase its number of confirmations. Block height itself is not the same as the confirmation count, although the two values are directly related.

During a chain reorganization, a block at a particular height may cease to belong to the currently accepted chain. For this reason, height should be considered together with the current chain state.