How the blockchain—a system built on foundations of mutual mistrust—can become trustworthy The blockchain entered the world on January 3, 2009, introducing an innovative new trust architecture: an environment in which users trust a system—for example, a shared ledger of information—without necessarily trusting any of its components. The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is the most famous implementation of the blockchain, but hundreds of other companies have been founded and billions of dollars have been invested in similar applications since Bitcoin’s launch. Some see the blockchain as offering more opportunities for criminal behavior than benefits to society. In this book, Kevin Werbach shows how a technology resting on foundations of mutual mistrust can become trustworthy. The blockchain, built on open software and decentralized foundations that allow anyone to participate, seems like a threat to any form of regulation. In fact, Werbach argues, law and the blockchain need each other. Blockchain systems that ignore law and governance are likely to fail, or to become outlaw technologies irrelevant to the mainstream economy. That, Werbach cautions, would be a tragic waste of potential. If, however, we recognize the blockchain as a kind of legal technology that shapes behavior in new ways, it can be harnessed to create tremendous business and social value.
"Views differ on bitcoin, but few doubt the transformative potential of Blockchain technology. The Truth Machine is the best book so far on what has happened and what may come along. It demands the attention of anyone concerned with our economic future." —Lawrence H. Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard, Former Treasury Secretary From Michael J. Casey and Paul Vigna, the authors of The Age of Cryptocurrency, comes the definitive work on the Internet’s Next Big Thing: The Blockchain. Big banks have grown bigger and more entrenched. Privacy exists only until the next hack. Credit card fraud is a fact of life. Many of the “legacy systems” once designed to make our lives easier and our economy more efficient are no longer up to the task. Yet there is a way past all this—a new kind of operating system with the potential to revolutionize vast swaths of our economy: the blockchain. In The Truth Machine, Michael J. Casey and Paul Vigna demystify the blockchain and explain why it can restore personal control over our data, assets, and identities; grant billions of excluded people access to the global economy; and shift the balance of power to revive society’s faith in itself. They reveal the disruption it promises for industries including finance, tech, legal, and shipping. Casey and Vigna expose the challenge of replacing trusted (and not-so-trusted) institutions on which we’ve relied for centuries with a radical model that bypasses them. The Truth Machine reveals the empowerment possible when self-interested middlemen give way to the transparency of the blockchain, while highlighting the job losses, assertion of special interests, and threat to social cohesion that will accompany this shift. With the same balanced perspective they brought to The Age of Cryptocurrency, Casey and Vigna show why we all must care about the path that blockchain technology takes—moving humanity forward, not backward.
This book addresses what software architects and developers need to know in order to build applications based on blockchain technology, by offering an architectural view of software systems that make beneficial use of blockchains. It provides guidance on assessing the suitability of blockchain, on the roles blockchain can play in an architecture, on designing blockchain applications, and on assessing different architecture designs and tradeoffs. It also serves as a reference on blockchain design patterns and design analysis, and refers to practical examples of blockchain-based applications. The book is divided into four parts: Part I provides a general introduction to the topic and to existing blockchain platforms including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Hyperledger Fabric, and offers examples of blockchain-based applications. Part II focuses on the functional aspects of software architecture, describing the main roles blockchain can play in an architecture, as well as its potential suitability and design process. It includes a catalogue of 15 design patterns and details how to use model-driven engineering to build blockchain-based applications. Part III covers the non-functional aspects of blockchain applications, which are cross-cutting concerns including cost, performance, security, and availability. Part IV then presents three detailed real-world use cases, offering additional insights from a practical perspective. An epilogue summarizes the book and speculates on the role blockchain and its applications can play in the future. This book focusses on the bigger picture for blockchain, covering the concepts and technical considerations in the design of blockchain-based applications. The use of mathematical formulas is limited to where they are critical. This book is primarily intended for developers, software architects and chief information officers who need to understand the basic technology, tools and methodologies to build blockchain applications. It also provides students and researchers new to this field an introduction to this hot topic.
Networks powered by algorithms are pervasive. Major contemporary technology trends - Internet of Things, Big Data, Digital Platform Power, Blockchain, and the Algorithmic Society - are manifestations of this phenomenon. The internet, which once seemed an unambiguous benefit to society, is now the basis for invasions of privacy, massive concentrations of power, and wide-scale manipulation. The algorithmic networked world poses deep questions about power, freedom, fairness, and human agency. The influential 1997 Federal Communications Commission whitepaper “Digital Tornado” hailed the “endless spiral of connectivity” that would transform society, and today, little remains untouched by digital connectivity. Yet fundamental questions remain unresolved, and even more serious challenges have emerged. This important collection, which offers a reckoning and a foretelling, features leading technology scholars who explain the legal, business, ethical, technical, and public policy challenges of building pervasive networks and algorithms for the benefit of humanity. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Handbook of Research on Blockchain Technology presents the latest information on the adaptation and implementation of Blockchain technologies in real world business, scientific, healthcare and biomedical applications. The book's editors present the rapid advancements in existing business models by applying Blockchain techniques. Novel architectural solutions in the deployment of Blockchain comprise the core aspects of this book. Several use cases with IoT, biomedical engineering, and smart cities are also incorporated. As Blockchain is a relatively new technology that exploits decentralized networks and is used in many sectors for reliable, cost-effective and rapid business transactions, this book is a welcomed addition on existing knowledge. Financial services, retail, insurance, logistics, supply chain, public sectors and biomedical industries are now investing in Blockchain research and technologies for their business growth. Blockchain prevents double spending in financial transactions without the need of a trusted authority or central server. It is a decentralized ledger platform that facilitates verifiable transactions between parties in a secure and smart way. - Presents the evolution of blockchain, from fundamental theories, to present forms - Explains the concepts of blockchain related to cloud/edge computing, smart healthcare, smart cities and Internet of Things (IoT) - Provides complete coverage of the various tools, platforms and techniques used in blockchain - Explores smart contract tools and consensus algorithms - Covers a variety of applications with real world case studies in areas such as biomedical engineering, supply chain management, and tracking of goods and delivery
WINNER: Independent Press Award 2020 - Technology Category Blockchain is the technology behind bitcoin and other crypto-currencies. According to Santander, it could save financial institutions $15-20bn a year from 2022 onward. Most experts see an unprecedented potential, but many banks, payment processors and credit card companies fret that bitcoin entrepreneurs could cast a pall over their core business. Whatever the position of blockchain, many voices are shouting from different angles, creating a cacophony of confusion including tech-evangelists, anarcho-libertarians and industry experts. But while everybody in IT and banking seems to have an opinion on the blockchain, there is little systematic research, no strategic analysis. Blockchain Babel is the ultimate guide to the most disruptive technology to have entered the finance industry in recent years. Blockchain Babel looks at blockchain alongside innovation diffusion, competitive dynamics and management strategy. Shortlisted as one of the three best business book proposals by McKinsey and the Financial Times for the Bracken Bower Prize in 2016, this is a must-read for business leaders and aspiring leaders wanting to grasp blockchain and put it into context and understand the practical implications it may have.
Blockchain technology has captured the minds of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and policy wonks all over the world. Major media outlets report on the rise and fall of Bitcoin and Ethereum tokens daily. Billions of dollars are flowing into blockchain startups in some form. Large-scale cyber intrusions against crypto exchanges, newly smart machines with wallets, and even semi-autonomous supply chains are capturing the imaginations of enterprises everywhere. But, how well do you really understand the technology, economics and business of blockchain? In Basics of Blockchain, the authors combine decades of experience into a cohesive collegiate level guide to help you understand the technology at its most basic level, and internalize the economics and business of building companies in the era of decentralized computing. While the technology may sound complicated, the job for students and business leaders is understanding how to drive value and success by adopting Web 3 technologies like blockchain. The book features 6 Chapters, Key Terms, Questions & Discussion, a Glossary, hands-on code Tutorials, Slides, and Tests. Bettina Warburg is one of the 1st speakers on blockchain for TED and WIRED, reaching 5 mil+ viewers. Tom Serres is a Silicon Valley veteran and record-holder for the largest-ever online Series A back in 2012 for his first startup, Rally. He was named Forbes most promising CEO under 35. Together, they founded Warburg Serres - a boutique fund focused on blockchain and the decentralization of trade - and manage Animal Ventures, a research and advisory firm specializing in portfolio development, education, and prototyping. They are accomplished entrepreneurs, researchers, speakers, investors, and adjunct professors at UT at Austin. Bill Wagner has decades of experience in academia. He holds the position of Assoc. Chair of Accounting and Information Systems at Villanova University. He is an expert on MIS and course development covering topics on Enterprise Systems, Mobile Applications, Applied Artificial Intelligence, and Data Analytics. Bill received the Meyer award for Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship and the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship award for Excellence. This book covers the following concepts: Blockchain Fundamentals: From origins to the modern computing stack The Technology Behind Blockchain: Web 3 and the economy Bitcoin and Crypto-assets: CryptoKitties and ERC20 Tokens Ethereum and Smart Contracts: Tutorials, Virtual machines, and autonomous organizations Project Management and Use Cases: Lean prototyping methods and corporate Dapps The Future of Blockchain: Quantum-resistant blockchains, AI/ML, and society "Tom Serres is one of Silicon Valley''s best." -- Eric Ries, Founder of Long Term Stock Exchange & author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way "Bettina and Tom are a rare combination of natural entrepreneurship, strong academic research, and a futuristic mindset. We consider them amazing thinkers and great thought-leaders in the blockchain space over the years." -- Fabian Vogelsteller (Inventor of the ERC20 Standard) & Marjorie Hernandez, Co-Founders of Lukso.io "Bettina''s talk about blockchain is one of the most insightful and clear explanations of this new technology that I''ve seen. The tech is abstract and exotic, but she makes it concrete and familiar." -- Kevin Kelly, founding Executive Editor of Wired Magazine and author of The Inevitable "Tom and Bettina are early pioneers in the world of Blockchain, and have been active participants in its transformation from a series of fringe ideas to mainstream adoption.They have been a huge help to growing the community at large." -- Dominic Williams, Founder of Dfinity
Blockchain is transforming business. What's your strategy? Leaders of forward-thinking organizations are exploring how blockchain can transform the way they create and seek value. Whether it's used to streamline multiparty processes, create and trade new assets, or leverage artificial intelligence and the internet of things, blockchain enables entirely new business opportunities. This is just the start. As blockchain becomes more widely adopted, it has the potential to radically change the way companies and societies operate, as transformative a paradigm shift as the launch of the internet. The Real Business of Blockchain is one of the first books on this transformative technology written for business leaders. Authors David Furlonger and Christophe Uzureau--both of Gartner, the world-renowned research and advisory company--will help you: Assess how blockchain will impact your business Explore the value proposition that blockchain offers Make smart near- and midterm investments Position your organization in a new competitive landscape Timely, visionary, and accessible, The Real Business of Blockchain cuts through the hype and helps you unlock the vast capabilities of this powerful and potentially world-changing technology.
Demystify architecting complex blockchain applications in enterprise environments Architecting Enterprise Blockchain Solutions helps engineers and IT administrators understand how to architect complex blockchain applications in enterprise environments. The book takes a deep dive into the intricacies of supporting and securing blockchain technology, creating and implementing decentralized applications, and incorporating blockchain into an existing enterprise IT infrastructure. Blockchain is a technology that is experiencing massive growth in many facets of business and the enterprise. Most books around blockchain primarily deal with how blockchains are related to cryptocurrency or focus on pure blockchain development. This book teaches what blockchain technology is and offers insights into its current and future uses in high performance networks and complex ecosystems. Provides a practical, hands-on approach Demonstrates the power and flexibility of enterprise blockchains such as Hyperledger and R3 Corda Explores how blockchain can be used to solve complex IT support and infrastructure problems Offers numerous hands-on examples and diagrams Get ready to learn how to harness the power and flexibility of enterprise blockchains!
