This book focuses on the innovation of blockchain technology and the advantages it offers. It provides a clear and comprehensive overview of blockchain technology and its possibilities, and thereby helps readers to form an opinion and draw their own conclusions about its potential exploitations.
The book begins with a chapter on the topic of decentralized networks, which familiarizes readers with their challenges by using the example of an online trading platform. Hereinafter, it is then detailed what blockchain technology is, where it comes from, and how it works. The necessary underlying technologies are explained, and various individual approaches as well as their composition are presented. Using well-known examples such as Bitcoin and Ethereum as an illustration, the book looks at the architecture of blockchain technology and focuses on the challenges such as security and scalability. The options available when introducing blockchain technology are also outlined, and best-practice examples are presented to get a better idea of what areas benefit from this technology.
Numerous examples and detailed explanations will accompany the readers throughout the book. By the time they have reached the end, they will be able to decide for themselves what is truly innovative about blockchain technology and what is nothing more than hype.
Author(s): Tatiana Gayvoronskaya, Christoph Meinel
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 126
City: Cham
Preface
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Trust
1.2 Resource Allocation and Administration
2 What Is Hidden Behind the Term ``Blockchain''?
2.1 Understanding Blockchain: A Simple Example
2.2 Bitcoin
3 Technical Basics for a Better Understanding of Blockchain Technology
3.1 Cryptography
3.1.1 Digital Signatures and Hash Values
3.1.2 User Identification and Addresses
3.2 Exchange Among Equals
3.2.1 Obfuscation
3.2.2 Data Protection and Liability
3.3 Consensus Finding
4 Where Does the Hype End, and Where Does the Innovation of Blockchain Technology Begin?
4.1 Traceability, Forgery Protection, Reliability
4.1.1 The Smallest Component in a Blockchain
4.1.2 Block and Chain
4.1.3 Updating the Blockchain
4.1.4 New Blockchains and Alternatives
4.2 Challenges of Blockchain Technology
4.2.1 Possible Attacks
4.2.2 Scalability
5 The Right Use Leads to Success
5.1 The Application of an Existing Blockchain Solution
5.1.1 UTXO-Based Solution with Colored Coins
5.1.2 Account-Based Solution and Smart Contracts
5.1.3 Interoperable Blockchains
5.2 Implementation of a New, Unique Blockchain Solution
6 Projects and Application Areas of Blockchain Technology
6.1 Financial Sector
6.2 Identity Management
6.3 Internet of Things
6.4 Energy
6.5 Logistics
7 Summary
A Byzantine Agreement Algorithm
B Automatically Use TOR Hidden Services
C Verifying the Transaction in the Bitcoin System
D The Byzantine Generals Problem
E Atomic Cross-Chain Trading
F Ethereum Roadmap
References
Index
