Principles And Practice Of Blockchains

This book provides an essential compilation of relevant and cutting edge academic and industry work on key Blockchain topics. This book concentrates on a wide range of advances related to Blockchains which include, among others, Blockchain principles, architecture and concepts with emphasis on key and innovative theories, methodologies, schemes and technologies of Blockchain, Blockchain platforms and architecture, Blockchain protocols, sensors and devices for Blockchain, Blockchain foundations, and reliability analysis of Blockchain-based systems. Further, it provides a glimpse of future directions where cybersecurity applications are headed. The book is a rich collection of carefully selected and reviewed manuscripts written by diverse cybersecurity application experts in the listed fields and edited by prominent cybersecurity applications researchers and specialists.

This book discusses the up-and-coming blockchain technology in a structured way from the conceptual, technological, and business perspectives, thereby providing the integrated insight that is essential for truly understanding blockchain applications and their impact. While most people may know about blockchain from Bitcoin and news about its price in the financial markets, blockchain is a technology that increasingly permeates the way in which modern businesses operate. However, its dynamics and functioning remain obscure for most people. This book gives readers the tools to understand the full extent to which blockchain technology is or can be used in business. First, the book focuses on the functioning of blockchain systems, introducing basic concepts such as transactions, consensus mechanisms, and smart contracts, as well as giving a smooth introduction to the basic features of cryptography that underpin blockchain technology, e.g., digital signatures and hashing. Then, the book focuses on specific blockchain platforms (Bitcoin, Ethereum, private blockchain platforms) currently used for the implementation of cryptocurrencies and other blockchain systems. Finally, it introduces a set of tools to understand and analyze the suitability of blockchain technology in different business scenarios from the business model, and business operation perspectives. Examples and case studies of blockchain applications currently in production are discussed extensively across the book. This book targets students and educators with an interest in blockchain technology providing a one-stop shop to obtain a deep and complete insight in blockchain technology and its applicability in different business scenarios. The textbook is designed primarily for third and fourth year undergraduate students in industrial engineering, business and management, and information systems. However, it can be adopted also in the computer science majors, since it does not strictly require any specific pre-requisite knowledge. At the graduate level, this book can be used in courses for industrial engineering, information systems, and management students. Finally, the book is also of interest to practitioners, like business analysts, process analysts, and information system architects, to understand the enabling and transformative potential of blockchain in a given business scenario.

This book is the first to present the state of the art and provide technical focus on the latest advances in the foundations of blockchain systems. It is a collaborative work between specialists in cryptography, distributed systems, formal languages, and economics, and addresses hot topics in blockchains from a theoretical perspective: cryptographic primitives, consensus, formalization of blockchain properties, game theory applied to blockchains, and economical issues. This book reflects the expertise of the various authors, and is intended to benefit researchers, students, and engineers who seek an understanding of the theoretical foundations of blockchains.

This book is the first to present the state of the art and provide technical focus on the latest advances in the foundations of blockchain systems. It is a collaborative work between specialists in cryptography, distributed systems, formal languages, and economics, and addresses hot topics in blockchains from a theoretical perspective: cryptographic primitives, consensus, formalization of blockchain properties, game theory applied to blockchains, and economical issues. This book reflects the expertise of the various authors, and is intended to benefit researchers, students, and engineers who seek an understanding of the theoretical foundations of blockchains.

Explore foundational concepts in blockchain theory with an emphasis on recent advances in theory and practice In Wireless Blockchain: Principles, Technologies and Applications, accomplished researchers and editors Bin Cao, Lei Zhang, Mugen Peng, and Muhammad Ali Imran deliver a robust and accessible exploration of recent developments in the theory and practice of blockchain technology, systems, and potential application in a variety of industrial sectors, including manufacturing, entertainment, public safety, telecommunications, public transport, healthcare, financial services, automotive, and energy utilities. The book presents the concept of wireless blockchain networks with different network topologies and communication protocols for various commonly used blockchain applications. You’ll discover how these variations and how communication networks affect blockchain consensus performance, including scalability, throughput, latency, and security levels. You’ll learn the state-of-the-art in blockchain technology and find insights on how blockchain runs and co-works with existing systems, including 5G, and how blockchain runs as a service to support all vertical sectors efficiently and effectively. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the Byzantine Generals problem, the fundamental theory of distributed system security and the foundation of blockchain technology An overview of advances in blockchain systems, their history, and likely future trends Practical discussions of Proof-of-Work systems as well as various Proof-of-“X” alternatives, including Proof-of-Stake, Proof-of-Importance, and Proof-of-Authority A concise examination of smart contracts, including trusted transactions, smart contract functions, design processes, and related applications in 5G/B5G A treatment of the theoretical relationship between communication networks and blockchain Perfect for electrical engineers, industry professionals, and students and researchers in electrical engineering, computer science, and mathematics, Wireless Blockchain: Principles, Technologies and Applications will also earn a place in the libraries of communication and computer system stakeholders, regulators, legislators, and research agencies.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to blockchain and distributed ledger technology. Intended as an applied guide for hands-on practitioners, the book includes detailed examples and in-depth explanations of how to build and run a blockchain from scratch. Through its conceptual background and hands-on exercises, this book allows students, teachers and crypto enthusiasts to launch their first blockchain while assuming prior knowledge of the underlying technology. How do I build a blockchain? How do I mint a cryptocurrency? How do I write a smart contract? How do I launch an initial coin offering (ICO)? These are some of questions this book answers. Starting by outlining the beginnings and development of early cryptocurrencies, it provides the conceptual foundations required to engineer secure software that interacts with both public and private ledgers. The topics covered include consensus algorithms, mining and decentralization, and many more. “This is a one-of-a-kind book on Blockchain technology. The authors achieved the perfect balance between the breadth of topics and the depth of technical discussion. But the real gem is the set of carefully curated hands-on exercises that guide the reader through the process of building a Blockchain right from Chapter 1.” Volodymyr Babich, Professor of Operations and Information Management, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University "An excellent introduction of DLT technology for a non-technical audience. The book is replete with examples and exercises, which greatly facilitate the learning of the underlying processes of blockchain technology for all, from students to entrepreneurs.” Serguei Netessine, Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania "Whether you want to start from scratch or deepen your blockchain knowledge about the latest developments, this book is an essential reference. Through clear explanations and practical code examples, the authors take you on a progressive journey to discover the technology foundations and build your own blockchain. From an operations perspective, you can learn the principles behind the distributed ledger technology relevant for transitioning towards blockchain-enabled supply chains. Reading this book, you'll get inspired, be able to assess the applicability of blockchain to supply chain operations, and learn from best practices recognized in real-world examples." Ralf W. Seifert, Professor of Technology and Operations Management at EPFL and Professor of Operations Management at IMD

The book comprises 12 chapters dealing with the following subjects: blockchains for network security; blockchain system architecture; blockchain consensus and incentives; Internet of Things; 5G and 6G networks; edgechain for organization-based multi-agent systems; privacy-preserving machine learning; smart metering; sharding; GIS; and remote sensing big data management and production.

This book serves as a reference for scholars, researchers and practitioners to update their knowledge on methodologies, theoretical analyses, modeling, simulation and empirical studies on blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies. Chapters on the evolving theory and practice related to distributed ledger technologies and peer-to-peer digital currencies are intended to provide comprehensive coverage and understanding of their uses within the technological, business, and organizational domains.The contributions from this volume also provide a thorough examination of blockchains and cryptocurrencies with respect to issues of management, governance, trust and privacy, and interoperability.Contributed by a diverse range of authors from both academia and professional fields, this reference book presents frontier research in the fields of blockchains and cryptocurrencies.