Overview
- Teaches core concepts and uses of blockchain technology, without relying on mathematical formulas or computer science jargon
- Shows how financial and commercial applications of the blockchain work in practice
- Teaches the essential blockchain format underlying all the technology’s specific applications
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Table of contents (25 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Terminology and Technical Foundations
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Front Matter
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Why the Blockchain Is Needed
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Front Matter
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Keywords
- blockchain
- distributed systems
- peer-to-peer systems
- distributed ledger technologies
- distributed consensus
- consentaneous
- Raft
- Paxos
- hash puzzle
- proof of work
- proof of ownership
- immutable ledger
- Sybil attack
- cryptography
- asymmetric cryptography
- private public key cryptography
- cryptographic hash function
- hash pointers
- cryptographic currencies
- double spending
About 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
Reviews
“The book could be used as a textbook or simply to help structure a presentation on blockchain. … I think that the book achieves its objectives: to explain to a nontechnical audience what the blockchain is, how it works, and where it can be applied. It should also allow the reader to understand a lot of the hype that surrounds blockchain and to differentiate the ways in which the term is used.” (Computing Reviews, October, 2017)
“This book presents a very intuitive and comprehensive introduction to the blockchain technology. It is useful to understand the concept and to find analogies to explain blockchain to people that are not familiar with it. The book is concisely written and well structured, so that the reader can easily follow and understand the presented concepts.” (Nicolas Kube, Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Vol. 32, 2018)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Daniel Drescher is an experienced banking professional who has held positions in electronic security trading in a range of banks. His recent activities have focused on automation, machine learning and big data in the context of security trading. Amongst others, Daniel holds a Doctorate in Econometrics from the Technical University of Berlin and an MSc in Software Engineering from the University of Oxford.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Blockchain Basics
Book Subtitle: A Non-Technical Introduction in 25 Steps
Authors: Daniel Drescher
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-2604-9
Publisher: Apress Berkeley, CA
eBook Packages: Professional and Applied Computing, Apress Access Books, Professional and Applied Computing (R0)
Copyright Information: Daniel Drescher 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4842-2603-2Published: 16 March 2017
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4842-2604-9Published: 14 March 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 255
Number of Illustrations: 57 b/w illustrations
Topics: Database Management, Cryptology, Special Purpose and Application-Based Systems, Data Storage Representation, Banking, Capital Markets