15.5 Blockchain
Blockchain is a network-based technology that was originally developed to support Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that has been in use since 2009. A cryptocurrency is a currency that exists only in the digital world, instead of as paper money or some other physical representation. But the importance of blockchain is spreading beyond cryptocurrency; many think that it represents the future of online transactions.
Blockchain is like a public ledger, recording important data about economic transactions. Although originally designed for financial transactions, it can be used to record anything of value, such as contracts, medical data, or voting records.
A block is a record of new transactions. Once verified using established algorithms ...
Get Computer Science Illuminated, 7th Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
