A distributed ledger is like a digital book that keeps records and is shared among many computers. It's made to record transactions and information in a secure and open way. Instead of having just one person or place in charge, everyone involved has their own copy of the ledger. When something new is added or changed, all participants agree on it. If there is a malicious attempt to alter the ledger, the distributed nature of the network allows participants to detect and disagree with the fraudulent changes. This way, the ledger is trustworthy, protected from changes, and available to everyone involved.

A blockchain network is a variation of a distributed ledger.