Chapter 1
Introducing Blockchain
IN THIS CHAPTER
Discovering the new world of blockchains
Understanding why blockchains matter
Identifying the three types of blockchains
Deepening your knowledge of how blockchains work
Originally, blockchain was just the computer science term for how to structure and share data. Today, blockchains are hailed as the “fifth evolution” of computing.
Blockchains are a novel approach to the distributed database. The innovation comes from incorporating old technology in new ways. You can think of blockchains as distributed databases that a group of individuals control and that store and share information.
Many different types of blockchains and blockchain applications exist. Blockchain is an all-encompassing technology that is integrating across platforms and hardware all over the world.
Beginning at the Beginning: What Blockchains Are
A blockchain is a data structure that makes it possible to create a digital ledger of data and share it among a network of independent parties. Many different types of blockchains exist:
- Public blockchains: Public blockchains, ...
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