Blockchain for Decision Makers

Blockchain for Decision Makers

by Romain Tormen
Released September 2019
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781838552275

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Book description

Understand how blockchain works and explore a variety of strategies to implement it in your organization effectively

Key Features

  • Become familiar with business challenges faced by companies when using blockchain
  • Discover how companies implement blockchain to monetize and secure their data
  • Study real-world examples to understand blockchain and its use in organizations

Book Description

In addition to cryptocurrencies, blockchain-based apps are being developed in different industries such as banking, supply chain, and healthcare to achieve digital transformation and enhance user experience. Blockchain is not only about Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies, but also about different technologies such as peer-to-peer networks, consensus mechanisms, and cryptography. These technologies together help sustain trustless environments in which digital value can be transferred between individuals without intermediaries.

This book will help you understand the basics of blockchain such as consensus protocols, decentralized applications, and tokenization. You'll focus on how blockchain is used today in different industries and the technological challenges faced while implementing a blockchain strategy. The book also enables you, as a decision maker, to understand blockchain from a technical perspective and evaluate its applicability in your business. Finally, you'll get to grips with blockchain frameworks such as Hyperledger and Quorum and their usability.

By the end of this book, you'll have learned about the current use cases of blockchain and be able to implement a blockchain strategy on your own.

What you will learn

  • Become well-versed with how blockchain works
  • Understand the difference between blockchain and Bitcoin
  • Learn how blockchain is being used in different industry verticals such as finance and retail
  • Delve into the technological and organizational challenges of implementing blockchain
  • Explore the possibilities that blockchain can unlock for decision makers
  • Choose a blockchain framework best suited for your projects from options such as Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric

Who this book is for

This book is for CXOs, business professionals, organization leaders, decision makers, technology enthusiasts, and managers who wish to understand how blockchain is implemented in different organizations, its impact, and how it can be customized according to business needs. Prior experience with blockchain is not required.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright and Credits
    1. Blockchain for Decision Makers
  3. About Packt
    1. Why subscribe?
  4. Contributors
    1. About the author
    2. About the reviewers
    3. Packt is searching for authors like you
  5. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
      1. Download the color images
      2. Conventions used
    4. Get in touch
      1. Reviews
  6. Section 1: A First Step into Blockchain and an Exciting World
  7. Basics of Blockchains and the Illustration of Village Beta
    1. The significance of blockchain in the business world
    2. Understanding blockchains
      1. Using centralized ledger systems
      2. The blockchain alternative
        1. Empowering the ledger
        2. The security factor
        3. Processing the blockchain
    3. Breaking down blockchains
      1. The hash function
      2. The missing variable
      3. The incentives mechanism
      4. The chain
    4. Summary
  8. A Technical Dive into Blockchain
    1. No network, no blockchain
      1. Truth in the network
      2. Participants in the network
    2. Cryptography
    3. Understanding the data structure
    4. Creating identities
      1. Securing identities using blockchain
    5. The Byzantine Generals Problem
      1. Offering incentives
    6. Understanding the consensus protocol mechanism
    7. Summary
  9. Ethereum and Smart Contracts
    1. Which is better, Bitcoin or Ethereum?
    2. The EVM
      1. Understanding smart contracts
      2. Gas
    3. Comparing proof-of-work and proof-of-stake
    4. Real-world applications
    5. Summary
  10. ICOs and Tokenized Fundraising Methods
    1. What are ICOs?
    2. Illustration of an ICO – the case of Ethereum
    3. Utility tokens and security tokens
    4. What is so revolutionary about ICOs?
    5. Summary
  11. Section 2: Blockchain in Practice, Insights, and Achievements
  12. An Economic and Historical Approach of Blockchain
    1. The economic global picture
      1. Money is trust
      2. A decentralized digital payment system
      3. Bitcoin – a digital currency or gold 2.0?
      4. Investment product or real solution for the unbanked?
      5. Adverse governments
      6. Technical limits of Bitcoin
    2. Blockchain as the missing tool for a collaborative economy
      1. Decentralization - but why?
      2. Blockchain – the ultimate layer
    3. Exchanging value in the digital world
    4. Summary
  13. Blockchain Legality, Compliance, and Regulation
    1. Laying the groundwork
    2. How to legally define a blockchain
      1. Blockchain and GDPR
    3. How to legally define tokens and other cryptoassets
      1. Cryptocurrencies
      2. Non-cryptocurrencies
    4. Overview of regulation frameworks
    5. Overview of accounting frameworks
    6. Summary
  14. Blockchain for the Business World and Achievements
    1. Authentication and trustworthiness
      1. Blockchain in the music industry
      2. Leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT)
    2. Interoperability
    3. Traceability
    4. Automation, disintermediation, and self-organization
      1. Smart contracts for energy 
        1. Electrical smarter grids
        2. Smarter electric mobility
      2. Betting with blockchains
    5. Digital identities
      1. How can blockchains help with citizenship?
      2. Voting systems made easier with blockchains
    6. Smart cities and public issues
      1. Improving healthcare systems with blockchains
      2. Can we achieve better administration with blockchains?
      3. Managing land with blockchains
      4. How blockchains support employment and education
      5. Blockchains for waste management, charity, and others
    7. Financial securities and fundraising
    8. Digital uniqueness
      1. Crypto-collectibles
      2. Non-fungible token standards
      3. Card collection
      4. Tokenization of unique assets
    9. Blockchain in the banking and finance sector
    10. Summary
  15. Future Outlook for Blockchain
    1. Increasing investment in blockchain
      1. Successful blockchain businesses
        1. Blockchain and cryptocurrency investment trends 
    2. The next GAFA
      1. The future of cryptocurrencies 
      2. Decentralized enterprise takeover
    3. A plausible shift for governments
    4. Threats and risks in the ecosystem
    5. Summary
  16. Section 3: Blockchain for Business Leaders
  17. Infrastructures and Cloud-Based Solutions
    1. The evolution of blockchains
    2. Private, semi-private, and public blockchains
    3. J.P. Morgan's Quorum
    4. Hyperledger
      1. Hyperledger Sawtooth
      2. Hyperledger Fabric
      3. Hyperledger Burrow, Indy, and Besu
      4. Perspectives for Hyperledger
    5. Aergo
    6. Corda
    7. Microsoft Azure
    8. AWS
    9. IBM
    10. Oracle
    11. Key takeaway
    12. Summary
  18. Defining Your Needs
    1. Deciding to implement a blockchain
    2. How much does a blockchain cost?
    3. Challenges and issues
    4. Business leaders' perception of blockchain
      1. Blockchain in discussion
      2. High profile opinions
    5. Summary
  19. Other Books You May Enjoy
    1. Leave a review - let other readers know what you think

Product information

  • Title: Blockchain for Decision Makers
  • Author(s): Romain Tormen
  • Release date: September 2019
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781838552275