Book Image

Foundations of Blockchain

By : Koshik Raj
Book Image

Foundations of Blockchain

By: Koshik Raj

Overview of this book

Blockchain technology is a combination of three popular concepts: cryptography, peer-to-peer networking, and game theory. This book is for anyone who wants to dive into blockchain from first principles and learn how decentralized applications and cryptocurrencies really work. This book begins with an overview of blockchain technology, including key definitions, its purposes and characteristics, so you can assess the full potential of blockchain. All essential aspects of cryptography are then presented, as the backbone of blockchain. For readers who want to study the underlying algorithms of blockchain, you’ll see Python implementations throughout. You’ll then learn how blockchain architecture can create decentralized applications. You’ll see how blockchain achieves decentralization through peer-to-peer networking, and how a simple blockchain can be built in a P2P network. You’ll learn how these elements can implement a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, and the wider applications of blockchain work through smart contracts. Blockchain optimization techniques, and blockchain security strategies are then presented. To complete this foundation, we consider blockchain applications in the financial and non-financial sectors, and also analyze the future of blockchain. A study of blockchain use cases includes supply chains, payment systems, crowdfunding, and DAOs, which rounds out your foundation in blockchain technology.
Table of Contents (14 chapters)

Transactions

We have already covered many of the concepts used in Bitcoin that aid in the creation of a cryptocurrency in a decentralized network. Although every concept has a significant role in Bitcoin, transactions play a central role. Everything else in Bitcoin is designed to ensure that valid transactions are safely included in the blockchain and are propagated to the entire network of nodes.

Unlike traditional bookkeeping, in which an account-based ledger is used, Bitcoin maintains a transaction-based ledger. Every transaction entered into Bitcoin has to be validated before it is included in the blockchain. Bitcoin nodes refer to the transactions
included in the other blocks or transaction mempool to validate every transaction. In this section, we will dig deep into concepts such as transaction creation, verification, and the components of transactions.

A transaction mempool...