Blockchains are public and tamper-proof digital records that are implemented in a distributed manner (i.e. without a central repository). Also, blockchains often lack a central authority (like a bank, company or government). In their simplest form, they allow a group of users to record transactions in a shared ledger accessible only to members of that community. Therefore, once a transaction has been verified and added to the blockchain, it cannot be modified in any way. In 2008, the concept of blockchain was combined with other IT technologies and concepts to create modern cryptocurrencies. These cryptocurrencies are a form of electronic money secured by cryptographic mechanisms rather than a central repository or authority. Widespread public awareness of this technology began in 2009 with the creation of the Bitcoin network, the first of several modern cryptocurrencies. The exchange of digital information representing electronic money receipts takes place in a decentralized manner in Bitcoin and other analog systems. Bitcoin users can digitally sign and transfer their rights to this information to another user. The Bitcoin blockchain publicly records this transmission, allowing all members of the network to independently verify the authenticity of transactions. A scattered group of people is responsible for the self-sufficiency and management of the Bitcoin blockchain. This, along with cryptographic techniques, makes the blockchain resistant to later attempts to alter the ledger (for example, transaction manipulation or block manipulation). The creation of various cryptocurrency platforms such as Bitcoin and Ethereum1 has been made possible thanks to the technology known as blockchain

In the next sentence, we will talk about the most crucial question that any author needs to be able to answer, and that is "why should anybody read this book?" To put it another way, why should anybody read yet another book about the technology that underpins blockchains? If you keep reading, you will learn the purposes for why this book was produced, as well as what you should anticipate This chapter will discuss the readers for whom this book was written, the organization of the book, and what you may and cannot expect from reading it. A significant amount of focus in both the public discourse and the media has been directed on the blockchain. Some proponents assert that the blockchain is the most significant innovation to take place in the entirety of the planet ever since the introduction of the internet. Over the course of the past several years, this has resulted in the publication of a number of books and articles that are focused on the blockchain. If you want to understand more about how if you're interested in how the blockchain truly functions, you may find yourself drowning in a sea of studies that either lightly cover or fully investigate the technology challenges involved. This may cause you to lose track of how the blockchain actually functions. In any case, you may find it difficult to obtain the information you need. Because of this, it could be challenging for you to have a better understanding of how the blockchain operates. The first choice may leave you disappointed because it does not explain the technical complexities that are required to appreciate and value the blockchain, and the second choice may leave you dissatisfied since it already demands the skills that you desire to gain. Both choices, however, have the potential to leave you dissatisfied. This book bridges the gap between publications that focus purely on the underlying technology of the blockchain, on the one hand, and those that focus on particular applications, the predicted economic effect of the blockchain, or futuristic conceptions, on the other. On the other hand, publications that concentrate solely on the blockchain technology itself have created a gap in the market, which is filled by this book.

In 25 concise steps, you will learn the basics of blockchain technology. No mathematical formulas, program code, or computer science jargon are used. No previous knowledge in computer science, mathematics, programming, or cryptography is required. Terminology is explained through pictures, analogies, and metaphors. This book bridges the gap that exists between purely technical books about the blockchain and purely business-focused books. It does so by explaining both the technical concepts that make up the blockchain and their role in business-relevant applications. What You'll Learn What the blockchain is Why it is needed and what problem it solves Why there is so much excitement about the blockchain and its potential Major components and their purpose How various components of the blockchain work and interact Limitations, why they exist, and what has been done to overcome them Major application scenarios Who This Book Is For Everyone who wants to get a general idea of what blockchain technology is, how it works, and how it will potentially change the financial system as we know it

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of fundamental topics related to blockchain. Throughout, the authors explore different vital issues and specific areas of blockchain. For convenience, the authors present the elementary description, visualize the working procedure of blockchain paradigm, and highlight the areas it can be applied in real life. They explain the blockchain process from a diverse perspective i.e. distributed Internet of Things (IoT), interdependent networks, intelligent mining, etc. They also analyze the interconnection of a blockchain network and such novel research areas to show a pathway towards a new research direction. This book also holds the core challenges and open research issues of blockchain technology, considering existing applications. Chapters include consensus mechanisms of blockchain, blockchain applicability in centralized and decentralized internet of things, blockchain interoperability from the perspective of interdependent networks, and blockchain for resource-constrained devices. Specifies the importance of theoretical methods in dealing with problems in the context of blockchain for interdependent decision making; Provides a comprehensive investigation of blockchain algorithms and the recently developed methods based on this algorithm; Provides basics and mathematical foundations needed to learn and deploy blockchain.

Blockchain Driven Supply Chains and Enterprise Information Systems examines initiatives for blockchain implementation in supply chain management and the integration of blockchain technology with existing enterprise management applications. The authors aim to establish common ground to provide solutions and best practices in the supply chain field, while tackling the challenges faced when integrating blockchain in supply chain policy. Chapters address both design and implementation aspects of supply chain platforms and enterprise information systems, and provide real-world use cases and examples from industry that address the impacts of using blockchain in the modern supply chain.

This book focuses on progress, concerns and approaches of blockchain application. It summarizes basic concepts, principles and standardization of blockchain technology, as well as the status of blockchain application and industry. It provides an ecology model and an evaluation method for blockchain applications and analyses the governance of blockchain applications. It presents application values and practices in financial services, logistics, government service, culture and education, and people’s livelihood and includes analysis of scenarios and use cases. This book is a summary of the experience of more than 20 experts from enterprises and institutions active in the blockchain industry. It provides a panorama of blockchain applications for users, technology and service providers, application developers and operators and supervisors.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Blockchain, ICBC 2019, held as part of the Services Conference Federation, SCF 2019, in San Diego, CA, USA, in June 2019. The 13 full papers and 2 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 29 submissions. The papers cover a wide range of topics in blockchain technologies, platforms, solutions and business models such as new blockchain architecture, platform constructions, blockchain development and blockchain services technologies, as well as standards, and blockchain services innovation lifecycle including enterprise modeling, business consulting, solution creation, services orchestration, services optimization, services management, services marketing, business process integration and management.

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

Blockchain and other trustless systems have gone from being relatively obscure technologies, which were only known to a small community of computer scientists and cryptologists, to mainstream phenomena that are now considered powerful game changers for many industries. This book explores and assesses real-world use cases and case studies on blockchain and related technologies. The studies describe the respective applications and address how these technologies have been deployed, the rationale behind their application, and finally, their outcomes. The book shares a wealth of experiences and lessons learned regarding financial markets, energy, SCM, healthcare, law and compliance. Given its scope, it is chiefly intended for academics and practitioners who want to learn more about blockchain applications.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second CCF China Blockchain Conference, CBCC 2019, held in Chengdu, China, in October 2019. The 16 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 112 submissions. The papers deal with research results and development activities in all aspects of blockchain science and technology.