Blockchain is an emerging technology platform for developing decentralized applications and data storage, over and beyond its role as the technology underlying the cryptocurrencies. The basic tenet of this platform is that it allows one to create a distributed and replicated ledger of events, transactions, and data generated through various IT processes with strong cryptographic guarantees of tamper resistance, immutability, and verifiability. Public blockchain platforms allow us to guarantee these properties with overwhelming probabilities even when untrusted users are participants of distributed applications with the ability to transact on the platform. Even though, blockchain technology has become popularly known because of its use in the implementation of cryptocurrencies such as BitCoin, Ethereum, etc.; the technology itself holds much more promise in various areas such as time stamping, logging of critical events in a system, recording of transactions, trustworthy e-governance, etc. It introduces theoretical and practical aspects of blockchain technology. The book includes an in-depth insight into the need for decentralization, smart contracts, consensus both permissioned and permissionless, and various blockchain development frameworks, tools, and platforms. It can be used as a learning resource for various examinations and certifications related to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. This book explained the nuts and bolts of blockchain technology in lucid language to make students more familiar with the implementation perspective of this much-needed technology. |