Mastering Blockchain Third Edition

A deep dive into distributed ledgers, consensus protocols, smart contracts, DApps, cryptocurrencies, Ethereum, and more

Imran Bashir 지음

Packt(GCO Science) 2020년 08월 31일 출간

작품소개

책소개

Develop a deep understanding of the theoretical foundations of blockchain technology and learn how to write smart contracts and build decentralized applications

▶Book Description
Blockchain technology is the backbone of cryptocurrencies, and it has applications in finance, government, media, and many other industries. With a legacy of providing technologists with executable insights, the third edition of Mastering Blockchain is thoroughly revised and updated with the latest blockchain research, including four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Serenity (Ethereum 2.0), tokenization, and enterprise blockchains.

Apart from covering the basics, including blockchain's technical underpinnings, cryptography, and consensus protocols, this book provides you with expert knowledge on decentralization, decentralized application development on Ethereum, Bitcoin, alternative coins, smart contracts, alternative blockchains, and Hyperledger.

Furthermore, you will explore how to implement blockchain solutions beyond cryptocurrencies, such as the Internet of Things with blockchain, blockchain scalability, enterprise blockchains, and tokenization using blockchain, and the future scope of this fascinating and disruptive technology.

By the end of this book, you will have gained a thorough understanding of the various facets of blockchain technology and be comfortable applying them to diverse real-world scenarios.

▶What You Will Learn
-Grasp the mechanisms behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, and alternative cryptocurrencies
-Understand cryptography and its usage in blockchain technology
-Understand the theoretical foundations of smart contracts
-Develop decentralized applications using Solidity, Remix, Truffle, Ganache, and Drizzle
-Identify and examine applications of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies
-Understand the architecture and development of Ethereum 2.0
-Explore research topics and the future scope of blockchain technology

▶Key Features
-Updated with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Ethereum 2.0, tokenization, and enterprise blockchains
-Dive deep into foundational pillars of blockchain technology such as decentralization, cryptography, and consensus protocols
-Get to grips with Solidity, Web3, cryptocurrencies, smart contract development and solve scalability, security, and privacy issues
-Discover the architecture of different distributed ledger platforms including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, Corda, and Quorum

▶Who This Book Is For
If you are a technologist, business executive, a student or an enthusiast who wishes to explore the fascinating world of blockchain technology, smart contracts, decentralized applications and distributed systems then this book is for you. Basic familiarity with a beginner-level command of a programming language would be a plus.

목차

▶TABLE of CONTENTS
-Chapter 1: Blockchain 101
-Chapter 2: Decentralization
-Chapter 3: Symmetric Cryptography
-Chapter 4: Public Key Cryptography
-Chapter 5: Consensus Algorithms
-Chapter 6: Introducing Bitcoin
-Chapter 7: The Bitcoin Network and Payments
-Chapter 8: Bitcoin Clients and APIs
-Chapter 9: Alternative Coins
-Chapter 10: Smart Contracts
-Chapter 11: Ethereum 101
-Chapter 12: Further Ethereum
-Chapter 13: Ethereum Development Environment
-Chapter 14: Development Tools and Frameworks
-Chapter 15: Introducing Web3
-Chapter 16: Serenity
-Chapter 17: Hyperledger
-Chapter 18: Tokenization
-Chapter 19: Blockchain ？ Outside of Currencies
-Chapter 20: Enterprise Blockchain
-Chapter 21: Scalability and Other Challenges
-Chapter 22: Current Landscape and What's Next

책 속으로

▶What this book covers
- Chapter 1, Blockchain 101, introduces the basic concepts of distributed computing, on which blockchain technology is based. It also covers the history, definitions, features, types, and benefits of blockchains, along with various consensus mechanisms that are at the core of the blockchain technology.

- Chapter 2, Decentralization, covers the concept of decentralization and its relationship with blockchain technology. Various methods and platforms that can be used to decentralize a process or a system are also introduced.

- Chapter 3, Symmetric Cryptography, introduces the theoretical foundations of symmetric cryptography, which is necessary in order to understand how various security services such as confidentiality and integrity are provided.

- Chapter 4, Public Key Cryptography, introduces concepts such as public and private keys, digital signatures, and hash functions, and includes a number of practical examples.

- Chapter 5, Consensus Algorithms, covers the fundamentals of consensus algorithms and describes the design and inner workings of several such algorithms. It covers both traditional consensus protocols and blockchain consensus protocols.

- Chapter 6, Introducing Bitcoin, covers Bitcoin, the first and largest blockchain. It introduces technical concepts related to the Bitcoin cryptocurrency in detail.

- Chapter 7, Bitcoin Network and Payments, covers the Bitcoin network, relevant protocols, and various Bitcoin wallets. Moreover, advanced protocols, Bitcoin trading and payments are also introduced.

- Chapter 8, Bitcoin Clients and APIs, introduces various Bitcoin clients and programming APIs that can be used to build Bitcoin applications.

- Chapter 9, Alternative Coins, introduces alternative cryptocurrencies that were introduced after the invention of Bitcoin, along with their theoretical foundations.

- Chapter 10, Smart Contracts, provides an in-depth discussion on smart contracts. Topics such as their history and definition, Ricardian contracts, oracles, and the theoretical aspects of smart contracts are presented in this chapter.

- Chapter 11, Ethereum 101, introduces the design and architecture of the Ethereum blockchain in detail. It covers various technical concepts related to the Ethereum blockchain that explain the underlying principles, features, and components of this platform in depth.

- Chapter 12, Further Ethereum, continues the introduction of Ethereum from the previous chapter, and covers topics related to the Ethereum Virtual Machine, mining, and supporting protocols for the Ethereum chain.

- Chapter 13, Ethereum Development Environment, covers topics related to setting up private networks for Ethereum smart contract development and programming.

- Chapter 14, Development Tools and Frameworks, provides a detailed practical introduction to the Solidity programming language, and different relevant tools and frameworks that are used for development with Ethereum.

- Chapter 15, Introducing Web3, covers the development of decentralized applications and smart contracts using the Ethereum blockchain. A detailed introduction to the Web3 API is provided, along with multiple practical examples.

- Chapter 16, Serenity, introduces the latest developments in Serenity, the update that will introduce Ethereum 2.0. It covers the theory relating to the beacon chain, validator nodes, and explores various phases of Ethereum 2 development.

- Chapter 17, Hyperledger, presents a discussion about the Hyperledger project from the Linux Foundation, which includes different blockchain projects introduced by its members.

- Chapter 18, Tokenization, introduces the topic of tokenization, stable coins, and other relevant ideas such as initial coin offerings, decentralized exchanges, decentralized finance, and token development standards.
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출판사 서평

▶ Preface
This book has one goal. To teach the theory and practice of distributed ledger technology to anyone interested in learning this fascinating new subject. Whether a seasoned technologist, student, business executive or merely an enthusiast; anyone with an interest in blockchain technology can benefit from this book. To this end, I aim to provide a comprehensive and indepth reference of distributed ledger technology that not only serves the expert, but is also accessible for beginners. I especially focus on describing the core characteristics of blockchain, so that readers can establish a strong foundation on which to build further knowledge and expertise. I also envisage that with this approach, the book will remain useful in the future despite constant advancements. Some of these core topics include core blockchain principles, cryptography, consensus algorithms, distributed systems theory, and smart contracts. In addition, practical topics such as programming smart contracts in Solidity, building blockchain networks, using blockchain development frameworks such as Truffle, and writing decentralized applications, also constitute a significant part of this book. Moreover, many different types of blockchain, related use cases and cross-industry applications of blockchain technology have been discussed in detail.

This approach makes this book a unique blend of theoretical principles and hands-on applications. After reading this book, readers will not only be able to understand the technical underpinnings of this technology, but will also be empowered to write smart contract code and build blockchain networks themselves. Practitioners can use this book as a reference, and it can also serve as a textbook for students wishing to learn this technology. Indeed, some institutions have adopted the second edition of this book as a primary textbook for their courses on blockchain technology.

Soon after the advent of blockchain technology, several texts were written on the subject. However, they mostly concentrated on a specific aspect of blockchain technology, such as cryptocurrencies. Especially between 2015 and 2017, no single text was available that could provide a detailed account of the whole picture of blockchain technology.

To fill this gap, the first edition of this book was written in 2017. In 2018, due to rapid development in the area of blockchain technology, the need was felt to update the book. As a result, the second edition of the book was published in early 2018 with some important updates. Inevitably, since the publication of the second edition, blockchain technology has evolved quite significantly. Some of the ideas that contributed to the evolution of blockchain technology include novel cryptographic protocols, new consensus algorithms, new privacy techniques, and extensive work on scalability. Moreover, innovative types of blockchain, developed to address limitations in the underlying technology, have emerged, along with a deep interest in the adoption of blockchain technology in enterprise settings. Each of these changes inspired us to update the book again with the latest industry developments.

This book has four new chapters on some of the latest topics, including consensus algorithms, Ethereum 2.0, tokenization, and enterprise blockchains.
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작가정보

저자(글) Imran Bashir

Imran Bashir has an M.Sc. in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, and has a background in software development, solution architecture, infrastructure management, and IT service management. He is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the British Computer Society (BCS). Imran has extensive experience in both the public and financial sectors, having worked on large-scale IT projects in the public sector before moving to the financial services industry. Since then, he has worked in various technical roles for different financial companies in Europe's financial capital, London.