An inexpensive block polymer which is effectively available in various uses with regard to hot-melt resin compositions, pressure sensitive adhesives, carriers for pressure sensitive adhesives, and the like. This block polymer has a structure including a polyvalent mercaptan segment at its center from which two or more polymer segments are radially extended. The number-average molecular weight of this polymer is in a range of 2,000 to 1,000,000, and the two or more polymer segments have two or more different compositions. This block polymer is obtainable by a process including two or more steps of radical polymerization of polymerizable monomer components having different compositions using a polyvalent mercaptan as a polymerization initiator.