Mastering Blockchain: A deep dive into distributed ledgers, consensus protocols, smart contracts, DApps, cryptocurrencies, Ethereum, and more
, Third Edition
Updated with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Ethereum 2.0, tokenization, and enterprise blockchains
Learn about key elements of blockchain theory such as decentralization, cryptography, and consensus protocols
Get to grips with Solidity, Web3, cryptocurrencies, smart contract development and solve scalability, security and privacy issues
Discover the architecture of different distributed ledger platforms including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, Corda and Quorum
Description
Blockchain is the backbone of cryptocurrencies, with applications in finance, government, media, and other industries. With a legacy of providing technologists with executable insights, this new edition of Mastering Blockchain is thoroughly revised and updated to the latest blockchain research with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Serenity (the update that will introduce Ethereum 2.0), tokenization, and enterprise blockchains.
This book covers the basics, including blockchain’s technical underpinnings, cryptography and consensus protocols. It also provides you with expert knowledge on decentralization, decentralized application development on Ethereum, Bitcoin, alternative coins, smart contracts, alternative blockchains, and Hyperledger.
Further, you will explore blockchain solutions beyond cryptocurrencies such as the Internet of Things with blockchain, enterprise blockchains, tokenization using blockchain, and consider the future scope of this fascinating and disruptive technology.
By the end of this book, you will have gained a thorough comprehension of the various facets of blockchain and understand their potential in diverse real-world scenarios.
Who is this book for?
If you are a technologist, business executive, a student or an enthusiast who wishes to explore the fascinating world of blockchain technology, smart contracts, decentralized applications and distributed systems then this book is for you. Basic familiarity with a beginner-level command of a programming language would be a plus.
What you will learn
Grasp the mechanisms behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, and alternative cryptocurrencies
Understand cryptography and its usage in blockchain
Understand the theoretical foundations of smart contracts
Develop decentralized applications using Solidity, Remix, Truffle, Ganache and Drizzle
Identify and examine applications of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies
Understand the architecture and development of Ethereum 2.0
Explore research topics and the future scope of blockchain
I am new to Blockchain, and I looked at this book to get an introduction. The first chapter, Blockchain 101, provides an excellent start and quickly presents a graph from which a prediction can be extrapolated, "blockchain will progress to become a mature technology by 2025". It answers the questions: why blockchain? "decentralized trust, security, cost savings, transparency, and efficiency" And, what are the challenges being researched? "scalability and privacy". Simply, it states: blockchain is a "decentralized-distributed system". An interesting history is given, blockchain was introduced with Bitcoin in 2008, and a long list of technologies, starting in the 1960's, is given which contributed to the development of Bitcoin. An improvement on the earlier technologies, the Bitcoin blockchain provides the ability to "prevent double spending in a completely trustless or permissionless environment", and it also "solves the SMR problem (probabilistically)". This is a great chapter, a very nice set-up! Further details are given, including of consensus, which provides the "decentralization of control through mining", and mining is used to "add more blocks to the blockchain".I enjoyed the chapter, Blockchain - Outside of Currencies. IoT is described as the "most prominent and most ready candidate for adapting blockchain technology". Interestingly, it is mentioned that the finance sector is exploring uses of blockchain with "high energy and enthusiasm"; however, "it is still far away from production-ready, blockchain-based systems".One of the chapters new to this edition of the book, Enterprise Blockchains, informs that "current public blockchains are not necessarily a suitable choice for enterprise use cases". Enterprise blockchains need faster performance, access governance, privacy, deterministic rather than probabilistic consensus algorithms, and to eliminate the need to have cryptocurrency on hand for transaction fees. It is mentioned that Corda (which is not really a blockchain) and Quorum are production-ready projects built on enterprise blockchains.The chapter on "Scalability and Challenges" addresses changes that need to be made to make the technology more adoptable, with the two most important being: performance on a large scale and privacy. Other issues include regulation, integration, interoperability, adaptability, and security, even though security is quite good already with Bitcoin.In the final chapter on the Current Landscape and What's Next, it is mentioned that there is a current inclination towards making use of an existing blockchain platform with only one application in mind for a specific industry, and these are called: application-specific blockchains (ASBCs). Currently, many start-ups are working on blockchain projects, and research is taking place in both academia and industry, in software and hardware. When it was discovered that methods were no longer efficient, focus shifted to optimizing and developing hardware. New programming languages are being developed for developing smart contracts. Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) is being offered in the cloud by Microsoft and IBM. Blockchain can beneficially converge with other technologies such as IoT and AI. It's mentioned that there are some debatable issues: public vs. private on the blockchain and central bank digital currency. There are some areas to address: regulation, illegal activity, and privacy or transparency. A really interesting list of 16 predictions expected to occur between 2020-2050 is given; for example, 1) The IoT will run on multiple blockchains and will give rise to an M2M economy. This will include energy devices, autonomous cars, and household accessories. 2) Central bank-issued digital currencies will become a reality, and will be applied in day-to-day use within the next two to five years. ...As a final note, it is mentioned that "blockchains are becoming intertwined with our lives just as the internet has been for decades" and "blockchain can arguably be considered the most innovative technology of this decade".This is a very nice, high quality book, which can help you jump on board.
Amazon Verified review
Amazon CustomerNov 30, 2020
5
Nice book with deep insights
Amazon Verified review
Liz ValeoMar 11, 2021
5
2 inches thick and very well organized. Recommend highly as an in depth guide to blockchain at all skill levels.
Amazon Verified review
FantaMay 13, 2021
5
Un tour de force attraverso la tecnologia blockchain, le criptovalute e gli smart contract, strumenti e piattaforme. Va nel dettaglio quanto necessario per chi ambisce a contribuire allo sviluppo della piattaforma (core blockchain) o allo sviluppo di applicazioni distribuite. Chiaro e bene illustrato. Livello di dettaglio decisamente eccessivo per chi vuole solo una panoramica dell'argomento (che puo' essere meglio servito da video su YouTube).
Amazon Verified review
StefanApr 16, 2022
5
Outstanding introduction to Blockchain, covering all relevant aspects. Must read!
Imran Bashir has an M.Sc. in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, and has a background in software development, solution architecture, infrastructure management, and IT service management. He is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the British Computer Society (BCS). Imran has extensive experience in both the public and financial sectors, having worked on large-scale IT projects in the public sector before moving to the financial services industry. Since then, he has worked in various technical roles for different financial companies in Europe's financial capital, London.
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