An archival blockchain system is disclosed that includes a cache-tier storage level where data is stored before it has met a first aging criteria, a disk-tier storage level where the data is migrated to and stored within archival blockchain blocks after it has met the first aging criteria. When the archival blockchain blocks containing the data meet a second aging criteria they are migrated to a tape-tier storage level where the disk-tier archival blockchain blocks are stored within another archival blockchain block stored on the tape-tier. This archival blockchain system also includes a blockchain appliance in digital data communication with the cache-tier, disk-tier, and tape-tier storage levels that maintains a ledger that stores data pointers to the data stored on the cache-tier, disk-tier, and tape-tier storage levels to logically link them into a contiguous data set.