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.

"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.

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.

Blockchain is a disruptive technology potentially impacting how economic transactions are recorded, stored, and verified. Despite such ramifications, there is a lack of literature discussing this from the accountant’s perspective. Through real-world cases this book distils an abstract technology to relatable experiences for business professionals.

Keeping up with fast evolving technology is a challenge that every business leader faces. As organisations start to wake up to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it’s becoming more important than ever to be able to utilise and exploit new digital platforms. With the simple aim of demystifying blockchain for business leaders, The Executive Guide to Blockchain offers a jargon-free explanation and framework to better understand blockchain technologies and their impact on organizations. Enabling any business leader with or without specific computing knowledge to reap the benefits of blockchain whilst understanding the limitations, this book will empower you to: Identify opportunities for blockchain in your own business sectors Understand smart contracts and their relationship with the law Create a blockchain strategy and business case Implement blockchain technologies and maximise their potential. Written by experts in non-technical language, this practical resource can be applied to any industry, and arm you with the knowledge needed to capture the possibilities of digital business.

Every now and then a new technology comes along described as having both great promise and great threat, as a means of social liberation or as a means of outright fraud. The internet, for example, drew this bold cataclysmic forecast from Ethernet co-founder Robert Metcalfe in 1995: "I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." In the fall of 2008, another technology which has increasingly witnessed such a stirring of opinion and attention, referred to as both "blockchain" and "cryptocurrency", was introduced to the world via the Bitcoin whitepaper. The technology has catapulted from a relative fringe of recipients on the cypherpunks mailing list to current adoption trends at some of the world''s largest financial institutions and social media platforms like JPMorgan and Facebook. In parallel, the market capitalization of traded cryptocurrencies has grown to more than a quarter of a trillion U.S. dollars, with futures contracts referenced to Bitcoin listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. But how can the new entrant sort through the noise on social media and elsewhere, when icons of the business world like Warren Buffet and Elon Musk have radically different takes on it, the former referring to Bitcoin as a "delusion" and "rat poison squared", the latter "quite brilliant"? Even within the blockchain space so-called "experts" can''t seem to agree on the meaning of loosely thrown around terms and phrases like "decentralized" and "digital gold"―or even on "blockchain" itself. The purpose of this book is to cut through the noise, providing an analytical, neutrally voiced basis for understanding this new technology. It is our strong belief that individuals and institutions should understand what they are investing in. Toward that end we also provide a durable overall cryptocurrency valuation framework, offering a fresh perspective for the seasoned analyst too. The chapters are organized as follows: 1, "Money and Systems," provides a history and analysis of money and monetary practice, and how this relates to systems. 2, "Basics of Computing, Networks and Cryptography," is an overview of the technological building blocks upon which Bitcoin and other blockchain protocols are being built, and the mathematical functions which gave rise to the name "cryptocurrency". In 3, "How Bitcoin Works," we dive right into the inner workings of this first blockchain protocol. 4, "Competing Blockchains," provides an overview of subsequent blockchain alternatives, wherein the reader will discover more about many of the other oft-mentioned alternatives like Ethereum, EOS, and IOTA, and categories of cryptocurrencies like Privacy and Stablecoins including Facebook''s Libra. 5, "Role and Power of Government," covers the relevant aspects of currency, banking, commodity, securities, and tax law treatments globally. 6, "Trading Cryptocurrency," is for the type of investor interested in actively trading relatively liquid markets. It will also be of more general interest to other investors as it highlights supporting blockchain infrastructure and channels for accessing cryptocurrency from traditional payment means, and cryptocurrency as a portfolio asset. 7, "A Blockchain Economy," describes a vision where decentralized systems of all kinds including Finance, Social Media, Real Estate, Healthcare, and the Internet of Things form the basis of the global economic system. 8, "Network and Its Value," applies network theory as an approach to model and value a cryptocurrency. Now that the reader has a sound understanding of the underlying technology, a vision of the future dominated by it, and alternative valuation approaches, 9, "Investing in Blockchain," will help in identifying focus areas and key investment themes. 10, "Summary and Conclusion," reviews the preceding chapters, while highlighting other less technical social forces acting upon the future of blockchain technology.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to blockchain and distributed ledger technology. Intended as an applied guide for hands-on practitioners, the book includes detailed examples and in-depth explanations of how to build and run a blockchain from scratch. Through its conceptual background and hands-on exercises, this book allows students, teachers and crypto enthusiasts to launch their first blockchain while assuming prior knowledge of the underlying technology. How do I build a blockchain? How do I mint a cryptocurrency? How do I write a smart contract? How do I launch an initial coin offering (ICO)? These are some of questions this book answers. Starting by outlining the beginnings and development of early cryptocurrencies, it provides the conceptual foundations required to engineer secure software that interacts with both public and private ledgers. The topics covered include consensus algorithms, mining and decentralization, and many more. “This is a one-of-a-kind book on Blockchain technology. The authors achieved the perfect balance between the breadth of topics and the depth of technical discussion. But the real gem is the set of carefully curated hands-on exercises that guide the reader through the process of building a Blockchain right from Chapter 1.” Volodymyr Babich, Professor of Operations and Information Management, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University "An excellent introduction of DLT technology for a non-technical audience. The book is replete with examples and exercises, which greatly facilitate the learning of the underlying processes of blockchain technology for all, from students to entrepreneurs.” Serguei Netessine, Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania "Whether you want to start from scratch or deepen your blockchain knowledge about the latest developments, this book is an essential reference. Through clear explanations and practical code examples, the authors take you on a progressive journey to discover the technology foundations and build your own blockchain. From an operations perspective, you can learn the principles behind the distributed ledger technology relevant for transitioning towards blockchain-enabled supply chains. Reading this book, you'll get inspired, be able to assess the applicability of blockchain to supply chain operations, and learn from best practices recognized in real-world examples." Ralf W. Seifert, Professor of Technology and Operations Management at EPFL and Professor of Operations Management at IMD