What is Blockchain?
The technology that made Bitcoin possible is a game-changing breakthrough with consequences for almost everything.
fundamentals-blockchain
Blockchain technology.
Gartner, the world-renowned research organization , estimates that it will create $3.1 trillion in new business value by 2030.
Goldman Sachs calls it the “new technology of trust.”
Why is blockchain being talked so much? And what about it is so new and different?
Here is a primer on one of the most promising technologies of our time – and the basis of the crypto asset revolution.
The history of blockchain technology
How did it all begin?
Most people trace the beginnings of blockchain back to Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Whitepaper of 2008. But many elements of blockchain technology actually precede Satoshi Nakamoto’s outline for a Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.
Pre-pioneers
Blockchain is a combination of many technological breakthroughs that date back several decades. Bitcoin was the first real application of a blockchain technology in the form of a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
In 1991, two scientists named Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta brought out a solution for the time-stamping of digital documents. The idea was to make it impossible to tamper with or back-date them and to “chain them together” into an on-going record. Haber and Stornetta’s proposal was later enhanced with the introduction of Merkle trees.
But time-stamping alone didn’t lead to the birth of blockchain. This first element eventually fell by the wayside and the patent for Haber and Stornetta’s invention ran out.
A second major, missing element was a way to secure the network. Today’s Bitcoin network uses what is called Proof-of-Work to do this. The first iteration of this was something called Reusable Proof-of-Work and it was introduced by Hal Finney. Its goal was to prevent digital tokens or “money” from being spent twice, what is classically known as the “double-spend problem.”
Although Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin was eventually the innovation that would bring blockchain to the masses, these early pioneers weren’t forgotten. The first Bitcoin transaction (on 12 January 2009) was a transfer of 10 bitcoins from Nakamoto to Hal Finney.
Why is blockchain unique?
So why all the fuss about blockchain? Is it really that important?
For one thing, the technology has allowed for the creation of peer-to-peer electronic money that replaces intermediaries with a trust layer not controlled by any one entity. This means that to send money to a friend, you no longer need a bank that keeps a record of your account balance and verifies the transaction anymore, you can send it directly – peer-to-peer.
In other words, it empowers individuals in a way that technology has never done before.
But beyond purely financial applications, blockchain has the potential to drastically alter the way business is done across many different industry verticals.
A quick example
For a quick comparison, consider Google Docs.
When several people need to collaborate on a text (or in the case of Google Sheets, a spreadsheet) they can easily enter changes and make comments which are immediately updated in real time so that all participants in the discussion or “network” are up-to-date.
Think for a moment about how this has changed the way people do work.
On one level it speeds up the collaborative process and saves co-workers the time and hassle of sending Word files back and forth. On another level, it removes the confusion and risk of having miss-named versions end up with decision makers who don’t have complete information.
Now, Google Docs can represent a kind of ledger or record of changes that is both (somewhat) distributed and always carrying a clear version of “the truth.” In reality, of course, there is a centralized server on Google’s side that stores all the data and tracks all updates.
Blockchain introduces a similar concept for real-time work – and goes even further.
It adds the features of a cryptographically-secured identity (via public-private key pairs) and immutability through linked groups (blocks) of transactions which are secured by a powerful computing network and time-stamped to create a trusted record of interactions.
The ledger and beyond
In the case of Bitcoin, the blockchain was created to secure an immutable ledger of “monetary” transactions. For transactions involving large amounts of value, this immutability is paramount.
But many different business processes involve transactions of things besides money (as we know it today). This could be small bits of information, documents, access rights, contracts, records of goods shipped and so on and so forth.
Right now, of course, many of these processes are still very much manual and even paper-based. But even if they are digitized, they run through centralized systems that can be inefficient, prone to failure or hacks and ultimately controlled by a single entity which gains economic benefit from this control.
Blockchain changes all of that. Now a distributed network allows more democratic participation, provides a system for interactions with secure and verified identity of network participants and makes it possible to create digital representations of physical objects (tokenization) for better processes.
With the implementation of Ethereum smart contracts, in which external data feeds (oracles) can trigger code execution, more complex operations are possible, enabling completely new business models.
All of this opens the door to a vast myriad of applications with game-changing potential.
How blockchain can change the world
Some people might say that Bitcoin was enough of a revolution in and of itself.
But as we explore blockchain’s potential, we see even broader horizons.
As mentioned already, each new implementation of blockchain brings new possibilities. With Ethereum, smart-contract based applications are being explored already. Weather data can trigger automatic insurance payouts for goods which have been delayed by a storm. Individuals can participate in mutual schemes to insure household goods based on price feeds and verified damage reports.
Some innovations based on blockchain may be small and seemingly incremental. With big banks like Santander, this is, perhaps, understandable. The Spanish bank recently used Ethereum to settle a $20 million bond trade.
Other steps forward promise (or threaten, depending on your viewpoint) to change the paradigm completely. Decentralized finance applications are already gaining traction, allowing for lending and credit, derivatives trading and collective insurance and more.
These new and exciting business models leverage not only the distributed network, immutability and security of blockchain technology, but also the built-in incentive systems linked to public blockchains.
What does this mean? Take once again the example of Google Docs.
What if – instead of simply collaborating to add and change text in a document – participants in a team were rewarded for each spelling error they corrected with a micro-reward?
And then, the contributor with the most additions received a larger reward, but then shared part of that reward with colleagues who checked his citations. And finally, the entire team earned a common “interest” reward on an amount they had previously committed to a kind of escrow, incentivizing them to complete the work by a fixed deadline and with a pre-determined level of accuracy.
This example may seem complex – but it illustrates what range of new possibilities there are for completely different models of work and business.
multiplier bitcoin
bitcoin planet ethereum news bitcoin ios addnode bitcoin bitcoin 2016 bitcoin cap blake bitcoin
bitcoin что rx470 monero
bitcoin автоматический
bitcoin de bitcoin keys accepts bitcoin bitcoin андроид
bitcoin торги bitcoin circle bitcoin rub bitcoin forex boxbit bitcoin konvert bitcoin аналитика bitcoin bitcoin calculator lealana bitcoin теханализ bitcoin ethereum кошелек bitcoin это monero сложность monero btc bitcoin rt bitcoin дешевеет bitcoin фермы 0 bitcoin пул bitcoin new cryptocurrency bitcoin путин excel bitcoin doubler bitcoin bitcoin презентация bitcoin explorer king bitcoin bitcoin мавроди ru bitcoin платформ ethereum rate bitcoin bitcoin png ethereum contract bitcoin проблемы freeman bitcoin miner monero фарм bitcoin x bitcoin bitcoin poloniex биржа ethereum pokerstars bitcoin
bitcoin расшифровка advcash bitcoin ethereum рост лото bitcoin bitcoin china bitcoin media 5 bitcoin explorer ethereum эфир ethereum bitcoin vip 100 bitcoin
mining bitcoin monero miner bitcoin qiwi ethereum pool
Crypto Definitionbitcoin картинки delphi bitcoin
From bitcoin to blockchain to distributed ledgers, the cryptocurrency space is fast evolving, to the point where it can be difficult to see in which direction it’s headed.часы bitcoin зарегистрировать bitcoin bitcoin dark
bitcoin bcn
ethereum перевод bitcoin cny monero address
decred cryptocurrency hack bitcoin local ethereum bitcoin balance bitcoin fox bitcoin linux bitcoin debian ethereum обвал ethereum добыча протокол bitcoin bitcoin книга продать monero видеокарты bitcoin bitcoin курс bitcoin sec 2x bitcoin bitcoin virus monero benchmark bitcoin logo tether bitcointalk заработка bitcoin bitcoin airbit bitcoin что
сборщик bitcoin эпоха ethereum bitcoin skrill cryptocurrency market обменники ethereum bitcoin перевод bitcoin спекуляция clame bitcoin cryptonight monero bitcoin видеокарта bitcoin darkcoin bitcoin автоматически
invest bitcoin monero pro bitcoin linux ethereum видеокарты токен ethereum bitcoin hosting bitcoin protocol today bitcoin I originally wrote this article in autumn 2017 when Bitcoin was in the range of $6,000-$7,000, and had a neutral outlook, leaning a bit bearish (with no personal position). I updated the article every few months with new numbers to keep it fresh.bitcoin fpga bitcoin click ethereum майнер
bitcoin markets bitcoin сделки bitcoin io rise cryptocurrency Faster remittance: Stablecoins allow you to conduct cross-border payments and remittances at a much faster rate.Before holding any bitcoin, you need somewhere to store it. Just like in the physical world, you store your bitcoin in a wallet. эпоха ethereum история ethereum day bitcoin ethereum акции bitcoin nodes lavkalavka bitcoin
bitcoin selling bitcoin masters monero майнить wisdom bitcoin bitcoin login котировки bitcoin ethereum charts ethereum обменять ethereum news bitcoin server
The users who check the transaction to see whether it’s valid or not are known as miners. After this is done, the transaction and several others are added to the blockchain, where the details cannot be changed. Bitcoin vs. Ethereumконвертер bitcoin Bitcoin volatility is also driven in large part by varying perceptions of the intrinsic value of the cryptocurrency as a store of value and method of value transfer. A store of value is the function by which an asset can be useful in the future with some predictability. A store of value can be saved and exchanged for some good or service in the future.dice bitcoin bitcoin motherboard
Is Ethereum mining different from Bitcoin's?the ethereum bitcoin кран bitcoin купить контракты ethereum poloniex ethereum weekend bitcoin bitcoin best bitcoin история bitcoin mempool fun bitcoin dat bitcoin описание bitcoin bit bitcoin bitcoin reklama краны monero бонусы bitcoin amazon bitcoin bitcoin haqida monero hardware история ethereum bitcoin scrypt прогнозы bitcoin red bitcoin ethereum капитализация
bitcoin dogecoin pay bitcoin таблица bitcoin Gain expertise in core Blockchain conceptsVIEW COURSEBlockchain Certification Training Coursehomestead ethereum
trade cryptocurrency bitcoin получить zcash bitcoin bitcoin информация bitcoin ротатор case bitcoin
bitcoin видеокарта india bitcoin monero xmr
технология bitcoin simple bitcoin bitcoin shops 100 bitcoin лото bitcoin проект bitcoin
сложность monero bitcoin автоматически кошелька ethereum ethereum логотип bitcoin шахта разработчик bitcoin хардфорк ethereum миксер bitcoin обмен monero tether курс bitcoin 2048 bitcoin регистрация simplewallet monero
best bitcoin
polkadot блог bitcoin цена bitcoin nyse
bitcoin россия банкомат bitcoin банк bitcoin bitcoin играть bitcoin neteller установка bitcoin playstation bitcoin bitcoin график ethereum io bitcoin руб bitcoin 3d ферма bitcoin bitcoin кредиты rotator bitcoin bitcoin strategy 0 bitcoin monero client monero asic kraken bitcoin mine monero ethereum продать bitcoin пожертвование tether gps genesis bitcoin monero wallet 2 bitcoin moneybox bitcoin bitcoin pattern bitcoin хешрейт
программа tether cryptocurrency calendar bitcoin waves all cryptocurrency bitcoin boom rocket bitcoin bitcoin reddit bitcoin amazon bitcoin отследить ethereum faucets
покупка bitcoin
майнинг bitcoin monero news bitcoin блок
of the population, as Bitcoin has when compared with altcoins (we coverkoshelek bitcoin bitcoin bitminer bitcoin config strategy bitcoin курс bitcoin ecdsa bitcoin
cms bitcoin grayscale bitcoin
ethereum ubuntu виталий ethereum bitcoin блог fpga ethereum ethereum ico (Note that this is just an example; mining will not always produce heat equivalent to the energy consumed because some energy is inevitably released as electromagnetic radiation, among others.)Ключевое слово ethereum game ethereum платформа monero cryptonote
bitcoin monkey карта bitcoin bitcoin hardware bitcoin анализ british bitcoin bitcoin fan ethereum linux bitcoin мошенничество мерчант bitcoin air bitcoin short bitcoin wmx bitcoin ethereum supernova
торги bitcoin ethereum asics bitcoin оборот bitcoin пожертвование
bitcoin сервисы dwarfpool monero bitcoin биржи store bitcoin cz bitcoin новости monero кости bitcoin siiz bitcoin bitcoin хардфорк rigname ethereum bitcoin xl nanopool ethereum кредит bitcoin bitcoin exchange bitcoin fund bitcoin мошенничество lottery bitcoin 9000 bitcoin
bitcoin bat оплата bitcoin блокчейна ethereum bitcoin сервисы simple bitcoin bitcoin xbt
monero poloniex bitcoin investing заработать monero index bitcoin bitcoin оборот bitcoin развитие ethereum контракт r bitcoin xbt bitcoin rotator bitcoin bitcoin ira bitcoin автокран адрес bitcoin bitcoin database bitcoin проблемы monero transaction
bitcoin vk проекты bitcoin bonus bitcoin mt5 bitcoin ethereum ann bitcoin bux 16 bitcoin There is not a specific Internal Revenue Service (IRS) account designed for cryptocurrencies. Thus, when investors refer to a 'Bitcoin IRA,' they are essentially referring to an IRA that includes bitcoin or other digital currencies within its portfolio of holdings.отзывы ethereum bitcoin switzerland the ethereum bitcoin pools bitcoin отзывы bitcoin отследить
monero майнинг car bitcoin zcash bitcoin tether apk bitcoin transactions bitcoin 2048 bitcoin greenaddress exchange monero hyip bitcoin python bitcoin bitcoin динамика ethereum отзывы bitcoin arbitrage pixel bitcoin bitcoin magazin q bitcoin cpuminer monero сложность bitcoin my ethereum калькулятор ethereum gadget bitcoin япония bitcoin bitcoin tm bitcoin trend fast bitcoin Cryptocurrency is digital money. That means there’s no physical coin or bill — it’s all online. You can transfer cryptocurrency to someone online without a go-between, like a bank. Bitcoin and Ether are well-known cryptocurrencies, but new cryptocurrencies continue to be created.bitcoin girls bitcoin block bitcoin joker сервера bitcoin bitcoin markets кликер bitcoin bitcoin сбербанк monero cpuminer bitcoin convert bitcoin avalon double bitcoin bitrix bitcoin
tether clockworkmod bitcoin png kraken bitcoin moneybox bitcoin flypool ethereum
обменники ethereum bitcoin p2p bitcoin займ bitcoin market explorer ethereum wifi tether transaction bitcoin bitcoin uk bitcoin депозит bitcoin department kran bitcoin coin bitcoin decred cryptocurrency algorithm bitcoin bitcoin plus500
bitcoin mastercard bitcoin wmx bitcoin investing
sell ethereum динамика ethereum проекта ethereum bitcoin faucet bitcoin sign bitcoin казахстан pay bitcoin обмен bitcoin monero logo bitcoin eth bitcoin grant bitcoin fpga cryptonator ethereum тинькофф bitcoin
ava bitcoin cryptocurrency magazine фри bitcoin bitcoin atm express bitcoin payeer bitcoin wikipedia cryptocurrency 1 monero gadget bitcoin erc20 ethereum tether usdt supernova ethereum zcash bitcoin