Blockchain technology is bringing together concepts and operations from several fields, including computing, communications networks, cryptography, and has broad implications and consequences thus encompassing a wide variety of domains and issues, including Network Science, computer science, economics, law, geography, etc. The aim of the paper is to provide a synthetic sketch of issues raised by the development of Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies, these issues are mainly presented through the link between on one hand the technological aspects, i.e. involved technologies and networks structures, and on the other hand the issues raised from applications to implications. We believe the link is a two-sided one. The goal is that it may contribute facilitating bridges between research areas.

This open access Pivot demonstrates how a variety of technologies act as innovation catalysts within the banking and financial services sector. Traditional banks and financial services are under increasing competition from global IT companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon and PayPal whilst facing pressure from investors to reduce costs, increase agility and improve customer retention. Technologies such as blockchain, cloud computing, mobile technologies, big data analytics and social media therefore have perhaps more potential in this industry and area of business than any other. This book defines a fintech ecosystem for the 21st century, providing a state-of-the art review of current literature, suggesting avenues for new research and offering perspectives from business, technology and industry.

This book discusses the various open issues of blockchain technology, such as the efficiency of blockchain in different domains of digital cryptocurrency, smart contracts, smart education system, smart cities, cloud identity and access, safeguard to cybersecurity and health care. For the first time in human history, people across the world can trust each other and transact over a large peer-to-peer networks without any central authority. This proves that, trust can be built not only by centralized institution but also by protocols and cryptographic mechanisms. The potential and collaboration between organizations and individuals within peer networks make it possible to potentially move to a global collaborative network without centralization. Blockchain is a complex social, economic and technological phenomenon. This questions what the established terminologies of the modern world like currency, trust, economics and exchange would mean. To make any sense, one needs to realize how much insightful and potential it is in the context and the way it is technically developed. Due to rapid changes in accessing the documents through online transactions and transferring the currency online, many previously used methods are proving insufficient and not secure to solve the problem which arises in the safe and hassle-free transaction. Nowadays, the world changes rapidly, and a transition flow is also seen in Business Process Management (BPM). The traditional Business Process Management holds good establishment last one to two decades, but, the internal workflow confined in a single organization. They do not manage the workflow process and information across organizations. If they do so, again fall in the same trap as the control transfers to the third party that is centralized server and it leads to tampering the data, and single point of failure. To address these issues, this book highlights a number of unique problems and effective solutions that reflects the state-of-the art in blockchain Technology. This book explores new experiments and yields promising solutions to the current challenges of blockchain technology. This book is intended for the researchers, academicians, faculties, scientists, blockchain specialists, business management and software industry professionals who will find it beneficial for their research work and set new ideas in the field of blockchain. This book caters research work in many fields of blockchain engineering, and it provides an in-depth knowledge of the fields covered.

As we enter the Industrial Revolution 4.0, demands for an increasing degree of trust and privacy protection continue to be voiced. The development of blockchain technology is very important because it can help frictionless and transparent financial transactions and improve the business experience, which in turn has far-reaching effects for economic, psychological, educational and organizational improvements in the way we work, teach, learn and care for ourselves and each other. Blockchain is an eccentric technology, but at the same time, the least understood and most disruptive technology of the day. This book covers the latest technologies of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology and their applications. This book discusses the blockchain and cryptocurrencies related issues and also explains how to provide the security differently through an algorithm, framework, approaches, techniques and mechanisms. A comprehensive understanding of what blockchain is and how it works, as well as insights into how it will affect the future of your organization and industry as a whole and how to integrate blockchain technology into your business strategy. In addition, the book explores the blockchain and its with other technologies like Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence, etc.

Since the launch of Bitcoin in 2009 several hundred different ‘cryptocurrencies’ have been developed and become accepted for a wide variety of transactions in leading online commercial marketplaces and the ‘sharing economy’, as well as by more traditional retailers, manufacturers, and even by charities and political parties. Bitcoin and its competitors have also garnered attention for their wildly fluctuating values as well as implication in international money laundering, Ponzi schemes and online trade in illicit goods and services across borders. These and other controversies surrounding cryptocurrencies have induced varying governance responses by central banks, government ministries, international organizations, and industry regulators worldwide. Besides formal attempts to ban Bitcoin, there have been multifaceted efforts to incorporate elements of blockchains, the peer-to-peer technology underlying cryptocurrencies, in the wider exchange, recording, and broadcasting of digital transactions. Blockchains are being mobilized to support and extend an array of governance activities. The novelty and breadth of growing blockchain-based activities have fuelled both utopian promises and dystopian fears regarding applications of the emergent technology to Bitcoin and beyond. This volume brings scholars of anthropology, economics, Science and Technology Studies, and sociology together with GPE scholars in assessing the actual implications posed by Bitcoin and blockchains for contemporary global governance. Its interdisciplinary contributions provide academics, policymakers, industry practitioners and the general public with more nuanced understandings of technological change in the changing character of governance within and across the borders of nation-states.

This book addresses main issues concerned with the future learning, learning and academic analytics, virtual world and smart user interface, and mobile learning. This book gathers the newest research results of smart learning environments from the aspects of learning, pedagogies, and technologies in learning. It examines the advances in technology development and changes in the field of education that has been affecting and reshaping the learning environment. Then, it proposes that under the changed technological situations, smart learning systems, no matter what platforms (i.e., personal computers, smart phones, and tablets) they are running at, should be aware of the preferences and needs that their users (i.e., the learners and teachers) have, be capable of providing their users with the most appropriate services, helps to enhance the users' learning experiences, and to make the learning efficient.

Handbook of Blockchain, Digital Finance, and Inclusion, Volume 1: Cryptocurrency, FinTech, InsurTech, and Regulation explores recent advances in digital banking and cryptocurrency, emphasizing mobile technology and evolving uses of cryptocurrencies as financial assets. Contributors go beyond summaries of standard models to describe new banking business models that will be sustainable and will likely dictate the future of finance. The volume not only emphasizes the financial opportunities made possible by digital banking, such as financial inclusion and impact investing, but it also looks at engineering theories and developments that encourage innovation. Its ability to illuminate present potential and future possibilities make it a unique contribution to the literature. - Explores recent advances in digital banking and cryptocurrency, emphasizing mobile technology and evolving uses of cryptocurrencies as financial assets - Explains the practical consequences of both technologies and economics to readers who want to learn about subjects related to their specialties - Encompasses alternative finance, financial inclusion, impact investing, decentralized consensus ledger and applied cryptography - Provides the only advanced methodical summary of these subjects available today