What this book covers
Chapter 1, Blockchain 101, explains what blockchain technologies are and how they work. We also introduce the concept of the distributed ledger.
Chapter 2, Components and Structure of Blockchain, takes a closer look at the technical underpinnings of a blockchain and peeks under the hood to understand what a block is and how the chain is created.
Chapter 3, Decentralization Versus Distributed Systems, covers different types of decentralized and distributed systems and cover the often-overlooked differences between them.
Chapter 4, Cryptography and Mechanics Behind Blockchain, discusses over the fundamentals of cryptographic systems which are critical to the proper functioning of all blockchains.
Chapter 5, Bitcoin, examine Bitcoin, the first blockchain, and it's specific mechanics in depth.
Chapter 6, Altcoins, covers the major non-bitcoin cryptocurrency projects that have gained popularity over the last few years.
Chapter 7, Achieving Consensus, looks into the different ways blockchains help achieve consensus. This is one of the most important aspects of blockchain behavior.
Chapter 8, Advanced Blockchain Concepts, covers the interactions between blockchain technology, privacy, and anonymity along with some of the legal side effects of the blockchain technology.
Chapter 9, Cryptocurrency Wallets, covers the different wallet solutions that exist for keeping your cryptocurrency secure.
Chapter 10, Alternate Blockchains, examine blockchain creation technologies such as Tendermint and Graphene, and other non-currency based blockchain technologies.
Chapter 11, Hyperledger and Enterprise Blockchains, examine the Hyperledger family of distributed ledger technologies aimed at corporate and enterprise use.
Chapter 12, Ethereum 101, look at Ethereum, the second most dominant blockchain technology today.
Chapter 13, Solidity 101, cover the basics of Solidity, the Ethereum programming language.
Chapter 14, Smart Contracts, covers the smart contracts, which are enabled in different ways by different blockchain technologies.
Chapter 15, Ethereum Development, look at writing applications for the Ethereum blockchain.
Chapter 16, Ethereum Accounts and Ether Token, in this chapter, we look at the mechanics of Ethereum accounts and the token itself in the Ethereum system.
Chapter 17, Decentralized Applications, discusses decentralized applications as a whole, including ones that operate without a blockchain or in tandem with blockchain technologies.
Chapter 18, Mining, we cover blockchain mining and how this is used to secure blockchains, the different types of hardware used in mining, and the different protocols involved.
Chapter 19, ICO 101, we cover the basics of launching an Initial Coin Offering or Initial Token Offering.
Chapter 20, Creating Your Own Currency, we cover the creation of your own blockchain based cryptocurrency.
Chapter 21, Scalability and Other Challenges, covers the difficulties and limitations currently facing blockchain technology.
Chapter 22, Future of Blockchain, we examine the possible future developments of the industry technologically, legally, and socially.