Chapter 2

Learning about Blockchain

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Understanding distributed applications

Bullet Examining Bitcoin’s solution to the distributed dilemma

Bullet Building blockchains

Bullet Contrasting blockchains and databases

Bullet Describing ways to use blockchain

Blockchain technology is basically a distributed ledger that is shared between lots of computers and can run verifiable software to control how data is added. Blockchain technology depends on the capability to distribute data and software to many computers, using a technique called distributed processing. Distributed processing is the practice of spreading applications across multiple computers, and is a different way of looking at where data is stored and where application code is run from the more traditional centralized model.

Software applications have to run somewhere. Today’s applications can run on endpoint computers and devices, or on servers you connect to through a network. Regardless of where software runs, the computer or device running ...

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