Master Blockchain, Cryptography, and Smart Contracts KEY FEATURES ● Delves into core blockchain concepts, from cryptographic foundations to enterprise applications. ● Covers cutting-edge topics like smart contracts, Hyperledger, and blockchain interoperability, providing a future-focused perspective. ● Real-world examples of how blockchain can transform industries like finance, healthcare, and supply chain management. DESCRIPTION Unlock the true potential of blockchain technology with this essential guide, crafted for students and professionals looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving digital landscape. Beginning with the foundations of Blockchain, the book moves on to explain the basics of decentralized, distributed ledgers that secure digital assets. You will then explore the role of Cryptographic Hash Functions (CHF) in safeguarding blockchain transactions through fixed-length hash values. Next, you will discover applications of Blockchain in Cryptocurrency and how digital assets like Bitcoin operate without central authorities. The book also covers Distributed Consensus in Open and Closed Environments, showing how blockchain ensures uniform agreement among nodes without a central server. You will then explore how blockchain is transforming industries by enabling secure, peer-to-peer transactions. The book introduces Hyperledger and Smart Contracts, highlighting how these tools automate and secure agreements without intermediaries. Finally, you will learn about facilitating communication between different blockchain networks through Blockchain Interoperability, and Legal and Environmental Aspects, examining the legal and environmental challenges blockchain faces. This book is not just a resource — it's your roadmap to mastering blockchain technology and revolutionizing your business. WHAT WILL YOU LEARN ● Learn how cryptographic hash functions transform data into fixed-length values and their role in blockchain security. ● Explore how cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin leverage blockchain technology for digital asset management. ● Understand how consensus mechanisms validate transactions and maintain ledgers in open blockchain networks. ● Discover how blockchain secures data transfers and eliminates intermediaries in enterprise settings. ● Examine blockchain use cases in enterprises, such as cross-border payments and supply chain management. ● Learn about Hyperledger Fabric and smart contracts, focusing on automating and securing transactions in permissioned blockchains. ● Transform blockchain networks to achieve communication through interoperability. ● Overcome the legal and environmental challenges of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, and achieve sustainability. WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR? This book is tailored for undergraduates in Computer Science, IT, and MCA programs, as well as professionals and individuals in related fields. It assumes a foundational understanding of blockchain technology and cryptography, making it ideal for those seeking to deepen their knowledge in these areas. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Overview of Blockchain Technology 2. Cryptographic Hash Function 3. Understanding Blockchain with Cryptocurrency 4. Distributed Consensus in Open Environments 5. Understanding Blockchain for Enterprises 6. Distributed Consensus in Closed Environment 7. Enterprise Application of Blockchain 8. Hyperledger and Smart Contracts 9. Blockchain Interoperability 10. Legal and Environmental Aspects 11. Exercises for Practical Index

This second edition further explores the regulatory landscape of cryptocurrency, highlighting the rise of Bitcoin, which is based on blockchain technology, and some of the many types of coins and tokens that emerged thereafter. Although Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have made national and international news with their dramatic rise and decline in value, nevertheless the underlying technology is being adopted by both industry and governments, which have noted the benefits of speed, cost efficiency, and protection from hacking. Based on numerous downloaded articles, laws, cases, and other materials, the book discusses the digital transformation, the types of cryptocurrencies, key actors, and the benefits and risks. It also addresses legal issues of digital technology and the evolving U.S. federal regulation. The varying treatment by individual U.S. states is reviewed together with attempts by organizations to arrive at a uniform regulatory regime. Both civil and criminal prosecutions are highlighted with an examination of the major cases that have arisen. This second edition specifically explores the creation of stablecoins, governments issuance of their own versions of digital currencies, new regulations that have been enacted and promulgated, and a clearer examination of futuristic evolutions that potentially will have a major impact upon the current cited technologies.

Become an Ethereum Blockchain developer using a blend of concepts and hands-on implementations Key Features Understand the Ethereum Ecosystem and its differences from its rich cousin Bitcoin Explore the Solidity programming language and smart contract optimizations Get a developer’s perspective of Blockchain-as-a-technology with exposure to common challenges faced while building decentralized applications Book Description Ethereum is a public, blockchain-based distributed computing platform featuring smart contract functionality. This book is your one-stop guide to blockchain and Ethereum smart contract development. We start by introducing you to the basics of blockchain. You'll learn about hash functions, Merkle trees, forking, mining, and much more. Then you'll learn about Ethereum and smart contracts, and we'll cover Ethereum virtual machine (EVM) in detail. Next, you'll get acquainted with DApps and DAOs and see how they work. We'll also delve into the mechanisms of advanced smart contracts, taking a practical approach. You'll also learn how to develop your own cryptocurrency from scratch in order to understand the business behind ICO. Further on, you'll get to know the key concepts of the Solidity programming language, enabling you to build decentralized blockchain-based applications. We'll also look at enterprise use cases, where you'll build a decentralized microblogging site. At the end of this book, we discuss blockchain-as-a-service, the dark web marketplace, and various advanced topics so you can get well versed with the blockchain principles and ecosystem. What you will learn Know how to build your own smart contracts and cryptocurrencies Understand the Solidity language Find out about data types, control structure, functions, inheritance, mathematical operations, and much more See the various types of forks and discover how they are related to Ethereum Get to know the various concepts of web3.js and its APIs so you can build client-side apps Build a DAO from scratch and acquire basic knowledge of DApps on Ethercast Be guided through the project so you can optimize EVM for smart contracts Build your own decentralized applications (DApps) by taking a practical approach Who this book is for If you want to know the ins and outs of the Ethereum network and build your own decentralized applications, then this book is what you need! This book is for anyone who is interested in blockchain and wants to become an Ethereum developer. It’s ideal for existing Ethereum developers who want to develop Ethereum using smart contracts. Basic knowledge of cryptography is expected but is not mandatory.

This book discusses the trust models for next-generation Blockchain ecosystems. The book provides a comprehensive discussion on various trust factors involving security, anonymization, reputation, governance, economic models, and other relevant determinants. The book covers various topics in breadth and depth. In addition, it sets the foundation to involve the readers in understanding the core theories supplemented with technical and experimental discussion. The book starts by laying out the foundations of trust models in Blockchain ecosystems. The authors then provide a study of existing trust models Blockchain networks. They then provide identification of trust factors and discuss each trust factor. The book concludes with a future outlook of trust-enabling Blockchain ecosystems. Outlines the trust models for next-generation Blockchain ecosystems; Covers the trust issues in various Blockchain ecosystems running in public, private, consortium, and cloud environments; Features issues such has privacy, security, scalability, and requirements in Blockchain.

Get a handle on the digital currency revolution, and learn how to get on board The Bitcoin Big Bang is a guide to navigating the uncharted territory of digital currency. Written by CNBC contributor Brian Kelly, this book goes beyond Bitcoin 101 to explain how this transformative technology is about to change the world. Digital currency is thrown into perspective against the history of payment systems and its own evolution, as readers are invited to explore the ways in which this technology is already changing the way business gets done. Readers gain insight into the mechanisms behind Bitcoin, and an expert perspective on digital currency's effect on the future of money and the economic implications of the Bitcoin revolution. In the same way that e-mail changed the way we transfer information, the decentralized Bitcoin network is about to revolutionize the business world, the legal profession, and even the role of the government. The Bitcoin Big Bang dives head first into this paradigm shift, allowing readers to: Explore the origins of digital currency Learn the history and evolution of payment systems Discover how the Bitcoin network is facilitating free and instant transfer of value Understand the mining of Bitcoin, and how to invest The digital currency revolution has implications that spread far beyond the finance industry. Anyone who exchanges payment for goods and services is on the cusp of the next big push in societal evolution, and only an understanding of the technology and a clear knowledge of the systems and behaviors at play can fully prepare us for the changes to come. The Bitcoin Big Bang is the go-to guide, helping those who use money use it better.

Imagine a world where the digital and physical worlds intertwine seamlessly - this is the metaverse. This complex digital environment has the potential to revolutionize our lives in a multitude of ways. Yet the lack of standardized frameworks and guidelines creates a fragmented ecosystem with varying levels of security, privacy, and usability that can hinder the integration of the metaverse into our daily lives in cohesive, safe, and beneficial ways. Research, Innovation, and Industry Impacts of the Metaverse offers a comprehensive solution to the challenges posed by the metaverse. It serves as a roadmap for researchers, academics, and practitioners by providing a structured framework for exploring the metaverse. It covers foundational technologies, academic research, real-world applications, and challenges, offering insights into defining the metaverse, its technologies, and future potential. The book equips readers with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of the metaverse and contribute to its responsible development. Showcasing the latest research contributions, this book initiates academic discourse and innovation. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring a holistic understanding of the metaverse's impact on society, education, commerce, and more, while empowering readers to harness the metaverse's full potential.