An introduction to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology; a guide for practitioners and students. Bitcoin and blockchain enable the ownership of virtual property without the need for a central authority. Additionally, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies make up an entirely new class of assets that have the potential for fundamental change in the current financial system. This book offers an introduction to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology from the perspective of monetary economics.

"Every informed person needs to know about Bitcoin because it might be one of the world's most important developments." Leon Luow, Nobel Peace prize nomineeUPDATED: Includes Bitcoin Cash informationBitcoin has already changed the world of finance and continues to grow in popularity, impacting other industries and areas of life. Bitcoin is not only a new currency but an entirely new technology that is causing a revolution as big as the internet once did. While people have dismissed bitcoin as a fad that will pass, the internet was also dismissed in its early days, with Bill Gates stating Microsoft had no interest in the internet. Bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency may seem like technical jargon that only computer or finance experts can understand. However, bitcoin is far more accessible to everybody in the world than you may think. Even if you have never purchased a bitcoin before, after reading this book you understand how to easily set up a bitcoin wallet then buy and trade bitcoins. You do not need to have any computer or finance background to understand this book, it is designed to be as accessible as possible to beginners with no exposure to bitcoin. If you are already experienced with buying bitcoin, this book contains information about mining bitcoin including cloud mining and more advanced bitcoin topics. Bitcoin: Complete guide to bitcoin, understand everything from getting started with bitcoin, sending and receiving bitcoin to mining bitcoin. In this book you will learn : What is bitcoin? History of bitcoin The dark history and story of bitcoin Who is Satoshi Nakamoto and the creation of bitcoin What is the blockchain? How blockchain technology works Difference between blockchain and bitcoin Benefits of using bitcoin Disadvantages / dangers of using bitcoin Setting up a bitcoin wallet Buying, selling and trading bitcoin Sending and receiving bitcoin How is bitcoin mined? Mining bitcoin Cloud mining bitcoin Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies The difference between Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash Trading bitcoin for other cryptocurrencies Impact of bitcoin The future of bitcoin And more.... "You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust"John McAfee, Founder of McAfee.

"Blockchain technology has been called the greatest innovation since the internet. Governments and companies are rushing to implement blockchain technology in a range of areas that could impact every person on the planet within a few years. Is blockchain technology one of the greatest technological revolutions in history or is it just hype? Will blockchain technology cause governments and banking systems to change the way they process information or will it be business as usual? In this book, we’ll look at the answers to these questions along with addressing the different sides of the arguments, for and against, blockchain technology."--Page 4 de la couverture.

Handbook of Research on Blockchain Technology presents the latest information on the adaptation and implementation of Blockchain technologies in real world business, scientific, healthcare and biomedical applications. The book's editors present the rapid advancements in existing business models by applying Blockchain techniques. Novel architectural solutions in the deployment of Blockchain comprise the core aspects of this book. Several use cases with IoT, biomedical engineering, and smart cities are also incorporated. As Blockchain is a relatively new technology that exploits decentralized networks and is used in many sectors for reliable, cost-effective and rapid business transactions, this book is a welcomed addition on existing knowledge. Financial services, retail, insurance, logistics, supply chain, public sectors and biomedical industries are now investing in Blockchain research and technologies for their business growth. Blockchain prevents double spending in financial transactions without the need of a trusted authority or central server. It is a decentralized ledger platform that facilitates verifiable transactions between parties in a secure and smart way. - Presents the evolution of blockchain, from fundamental theories, to present forms - Explains the concepts of blockchain related to cloud/edge computing, smart healthcare, smart cities and Internet of Things (IoT) - Provides complete coverage of the various tools, platforms and techniques used in blockchain - Explores smart contract tools and consensus algorithms - Covers a variety of applications with real world case studies in areas such as biomedical engineering, supply chain management, and tracking of goods and delivery

In recent years, blockchain development has grown quickly from the original Bitcoin protocol to the second-generation Ethereum platform, and to today’s process of building third-generation blockchains. During this evolution, we can see how blockchain technology has evolved from its original form as a distributed database to becoming a fully fledged, globally distributed, cloud computing platform. This book traces the past, present, and future of blockchain technology. Presents the knowledge and history of Bitcoin Offers blockchain applications Discusses developing working code for real-world blockchain applications Includes many real-life examples Covers the original Bitcoin protocol to the second-generation Ethereum platform Bitcoin and Blockchain: History and Current Applications is a useful reference for students, business schools, research scholars, practitioners, and business analytics professionals.

This open access book contributes to the creation of a cyber ecosystem supported by blockchain technology in which technology and people can coexist in harmony. Blockchains have shown that trusted records, or ledgers, of permanent data can be stored on the Internet in a decentralized manner. The decentralization of the recording process is expected to significantly economize the cost of transactions. Creating a ledger on data, a blockchain makes it possible to designate the owner of each piece of data, to trade data pieces, and to market them. This book examines the formation of markets for various types of data from the theory of market quality proposed and developed by M. Yano. Blockchains are expected to give data itself the status of a new production factor. Bringing ownership of data to the hands of data producers, blockchains can reduce the possibility of information leakage, enhance the sharing and use of IoT data, and prevent data monopoly and misuse. The industry will have a bright future as soon as better technology is developed and when a healthy infrastructure is created to support the blockchain market.

Develop a deeper understanding of what's under the hood of blockchain with this technical reference guide on one of the most disruptive modern technologies Key Features Updated with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Ethereum 2.0, tokenization, and enterprise blockchains Learn about key elements of blockchain theory such as decentralization, cryptography, and consensus protocols Get to grips with Solidity, Web3, cryptocurrencies, smart contract development and solve scalability, security and privacy issues Discover the architecture of different distributed ledger platforms including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, Corda and Quorum Book Description Blockchain is the backbone of cryptocurrencies, with applications in finance, government, media, and other industries. With a legacy of providing technologists with executable insights, this new edition of Mastering Blockchain is thoroughly revised and updated to the latest blockchain research with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Serenity (the update that will introduce Ethereum 2.0), tokenization, and enterprise blockchains. This book covers the basics, including blockchain's technical underpinnings, cryptography and consensus protocols. It also provides you with expert knowledge on decentralization, decentralized application development on Ethereum, Bitcoin, alternative coins, smart contracts, alternative blockchains, and Hyperledger. Further, you will explore blockchain solutions beyond cryptocurrencies such as the Internet of Things with blockchain, enterprise blockchains, tokenization using blockchain, and consider the future scope of this fascinating and disruptive technology. By the end of this book, you will have gained a thorough comprehension of the various facets of blockchain and understand their potential in diverse real-world scenarios. What you will learn Grasp the mechanisms behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, and alternative cryptocurrencies Understand cryptography and its usage in blockchain Understand the theoretical foundations of smart contracts Develop decentralized applications using Solidity, Remix, Truffle, Ganache and Drizzle Identify and examine applications of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies Understand the architecture and development of Ethereum 2.0 Explore research topics and the future scope of blockchain Who this book is for If you are a technologist, business executive, a student or an enthusiast who wishes to explore the fascinating world of blockchain technology, smart contracts, decentralized applications and distributed systems then this book is for you. Basic familiarity with a beginner-level command of a programming language would be a plus.