Foundations of Blockchain: The pathway to cryptocurrencies and decentralized blockchain applications

Foundations of Blockchain: The pathway to cryptocurrencies and decentralized blockchain applications

English | 2019 | ISBN: 978-1789139396 | 372 Pages | EPUB | 12 MB

Learn the foundations of blockchain technology – its core concepts and algorithmic solutions across cryptography, peer-to-peer technology, and game theory.
Blockchain technology is a combination of three popular concepts: cryptography, peer-to-peer networking, and game theory. This book is for anyone who wants to dive into blockchain from first principles and learn how decentralized applications and cryptocurrencies really work.
This book begins with an overview of blockchain technology, including key definitions, its purposes and characteristics, so you can assess the full potential of blockchain. All essential aspects of cryptography are then presented, as the backbone of blockchain. For readers who want to study the underlying algorithms of blockchain, you’ll see Python implementations throughout.
You’ll then learn how blockchain architecture can create decentralized applications. You’ll see how blockchain achieves decentralization through peer-to-peer networking, and how a simple blockchain can be built in a P2P network. You’ll learn how these elements can implement a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, and the wider applications of blockchain work through smart contracts. Blockchain optimization techniques, and blockchain security strategies are then presented. To complete this foundation, we consider blockchain applications in the financial and non-financial sectors, and also analyze the future of blockchain. A study of blockchain use cases includes supply chains, payment systems, crowdfunding, and DAOs, which rounds out your foundation in blockchain technology.
What you will learn

  • The core concepts and technical foundations of blockchain
  • The algorithmic principles and solutions that make up blockchain and cryptocurrencies
  • Blockchain cryptography explained in detail
  • How to realize blockchain projects with hands-on Python code
  • How to architect the blockchain and blockchain applications
  • Decentralized application development with MultiChain, NEO, and Ethereum
  • Optimizing and enhancing blockchain performance and security
  • Classical blockchain use cases and how to implement them
Homepage