Chapter 1, Blockchain 101, introduces the basic concepts of distributed computing on which blockchain technology is based. It also covers history, definitions, features, types, and benefits of blockchains along with various consensus mechanisms that are at the core of the blockchain technology.
Chapter 2, Decentralization, covers the concept of decentralization and its relationship with blockchain technology. Various methods and platforms that can be used to decentralize a process or a system have also been introduced.
Chapter 3, Symmetric Cryptography, introduces the theoretical foundations of symmetric cryptography, which is necessary to understand that how various security services such as confidentiality and integrity are provided.
Chapter 4, Public Key Cryptography, introduces concepts such as public and private keys, digital signatures and hash functions with practical examples. Finally, an introduction to financial markets is also included as there are many interesting use cases for blockchain technology in the financial sector.
Chapter 5, Introducing Bitcoin, covers Bitcoin, the first and largest blockchain. It introduces technical concepts related to bitcoin cryptocurrency in detail.
Chapter 6, Bitcoin Network and Payments, covers Bitcoin network, relevant protocols and various Bitcoin wallets. Moreover, advanced protocols, Bitcoin trading and payments is also introduced.
Chapter 7, Bitcoin Clients and APIs, introduces various Bitcoin clients and programming APIs that can be used to build Bitcoin applications.
Chapter 8, Alternative Coins, introduces alternative cryptocurrencies that were introduced after the invention of Bitcoin. It also presents examples of different altcoins, their properties, and how they have been developed and implemented.
Chapter 9, Smart Contracts, provides an in-depth discussion on smart contracts. Topics such as history, the definition of smart contracts, Ricardian contracts, Oracles, and the theoretical aspects of smart contracts are presented in this chapter.
Chapter 10, Ethereum 101, introduces the design and architecture of the Ethereum blockchain in detail. It covers various technical concepts related to the Ethereum blockchain that explains the underlying principles, features, and components of this platform in depth.
Chapter 11, Further Ethereum, continues the introduction of Ethereum from pervious chapter and covers topics related to Ethereum Virtual Machine, mining and supporting protocols for Ethereum.
Chapter 12, Ethereum Development Environment, covers the topics related to setting up private networks for Ethereum smart contract development and programming.
Chapter 13, Development Tools and Frameworks, provides a detailed practical introduction to the Solidity programming language and different relevant tools and frameworks that are used for Ethereum development.
Chapter 14, Introducing Web3, covers development of decentralized applications and smart contracts using the Ethereum blockchain. A detailed introduction to Web3 API is provided along with multiple practical examples and a final project.
Chapter 15, Hyperledger, presents a discussion about the Hyperledger project from the Linux Foundation, which includes different blockchain projects introduced by its members.
Chapter 16, Alternative Blockchains, introduces alternative blockchain solutions and platforms. It provides technical details and features of alternative blockchains and relevant platforms.
Chapter 17, Blockchain – Outside of Currencies, provides a practical and detailed introduction to applications of blockchain technology in fields others than cryptocurrencies, including Internet of Things, government, media, and finance.
Chapter 18, Scalability and Other Challenges, is dedicated to a discussion of the challenges faced by blockchain technology and how to address them.
Chapter 19, Current Landscape and What's Next, is aimed at providing information about the current landscape, projects, and research efforts related to blockchain technology. Also, some predictions based on the current state of blockchain technology have also been made.