Mastering Blockchain: Distributed Ledger Technology, Decentralization, and Smart Contracts Explained

by Imran Bashir

Develop a deeper understanding of what's under the hood of blockchain with this technical reference guide on one of the most disruptive modern technologies

Key Features
Updated with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Ethereum 2.0, tokenization, and enterprise blockchains
Learn about key elements of blockchain theory 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
Book Description
Blockchain is the backbone of cryptocurrencies, with applications in finance, government, media, and other industries. With a legacy of providing technologists with executable insights, this new edition of Mastering Blockchain is thoroughly revised and updated to the latest blockchain research with four new chapters on consensus algorithms, Serenity (the update that will introduce Ethereum 2.0), tokenization, and enterprise blockchains.

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

Further, you will explore blockchain solutions beyond cryptocurrencies such as the Internet of Things with blockchain, enterprise blockchains, tokenization using blockchain, and consider the future scope of this fascinating and disruptive technology.
By the end of this book, you will have gained a thorough comprehension of the various facets of blockchain and understand their potential in diverse real-world scenarios.

What you will learn
Grasp the mechanisms behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, and alternative cryptocurrencies
Understand cryptography and its usage in blockchain
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
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.

Genres: Computer Science, Technology, Nonfiction, Programming, Finance, Computers, Unfinished

656 pages, Paperback

Published March 30, 2018

Reviews

[Sana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book. This is also being translated into Chinese very soon, it's a great book! highly recommended

[Juha · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books on the subject matter. It actually goes to the nitty gritty and just doesn't do the same sales pitch as every other book about how the blockchain technology will revolutionise things.

[Yury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good introduction for the beginners.
With a some degree of hands-on involved

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best comprehensive book ive read about blockchain technology.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly technical!

[Kashif · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book some should read on blockchains. Contains the fundamentals of how Bitcoin led to a revolution which may be the next GPT (General Purpose Technology) like electricity and the internet.

Covers the history, different types of blockchains, consensus protocols, potential uses and points of improvement.

Its a good book, but seems to be written hastily in some areas.

Recommended

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the most comprehensive book available on blockchains. Also being used a textbook at many training institutes, colleges and universities around the world. I highly recommend it!

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a big book that goes into a lot of the details about bitcoin, ethereum, and other cryptocurrency projects. At times the book is unnecessarily detailed, showing output screens from the installation of various programs, for example. At other times, the book doesn't explain concepts well, such as going on and on about contracts without sufficient explanation of what contracts are and how it differs from the simple buying and selling of bitcoin. Still, the breadth of this book is impressive as it covers quite a lot of ground.

The book is a little dated as it was written prior to the bull run of 2017.

[Wasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like it, the name is "mastering blockchain" and it is for beginners, it has a lot of definitions, read this book is like read wikipeadia. The name of the book should be "introduction to blockchain"

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imran Bashir's Mastering Blockchain is a wide-ranging and pedantically crafted guide that delves deep into the compound world of blockchain technology. The third edition of this book continues to set a high standard in technical literature, making it a must-read for blockchain enthusiasts, professionals, and academics alike. One of the most arresting features of this book is its detailed technical insights, say, you are a reader with a technical background. For you, the author provides an in-depth look at blockchain architecture, cryptography, and programming aspects. Say yopu are A developer. In this book, code snippets and algorithm explanations are included, making it particularly valuable for you. And beyond theory, the book delves into real-world use cases such as supply chain management, financial services, and IoT. It bridges the gap between the abstract concept of blockchain and its tangible applications, which is a significant strength. Bashir masterfully explains blockchain fundamentals, distributed ledgers, and decentralization, progressing naturally into more advanced topics like consensus mechanisms, cryptographic principles, and smart contracts. His ability to cover both basic and complex topics ensures the book caters to a diverse audience, from novices to specialists. The author doesn't shy away from deliberating blockchain's challenges, such as scalability, energy consumption, and security issues. This balanced approach lends credibility to the book, as it presents blockchain technology in its wholeness—strengths and limitations included. Moreover, this book incorporates insights into newer developments like Ethereum 2.0, DeFi, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), ensuring it remains relevant in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape. Bashir's writing style is clear and authoritative, though the dense technical content can be overwhelming for casual readers. The inclusion of diagrams, tables, and step-by-step explanations mitigates this to some extent, but this is not a light read—it requires focus and dedication. Nevertheless, it needs mention that a potential drawback is the assumption of a certain level of pre-existing knowledge. While the book begins with the basics, the pace at which it dives into technical depths might be challenging for absolute beginners. Additionally, some sections could benefit from more real-world instances to make abstract concepts more relatable. To conclude, this book is an invaluable resource for those serious about understanding and working with blockchain technology. Its depth, extensiveness, and lucidity make it a standard text in the field, although it may demand patience and prior knowledge from readers less familiar with the subject. For anyone aiming to navigate the complexities of blockchain with confidence, this book is an indispensable companion. The book achieves its goal as a definitive guide, though its complexity may not appeal to all. It stands out as an essential read for those ready to immerse themselves in the intricacies of blockchain technology.

[Jascha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mastering Blockchain is a well written introduction to Blockchain for whoever is interested in the subject and has no real knowledge of what is happening under the hood. The concepts are clearly explained and often come supported by nice diagrams and screenshots. All the basics required to fully understand Blockchain are discussed by the author, including math and cryptography. I particularly enjoy the fact that key terms are described with a couple of sentences, in a glossary like style.

For those that are just interested in understanding what Blockchain is, mind that you need to fully understand mathematical and crypto concepts. This could lead to some headache.

A good read, as long as you fully understand what you get from it (no code to dev Blockchain applications; math and cyrptography).

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great operational reference for developers. I learned very much but i by no means feel this book provided mastery of Blockchain. It doesn't even have that capacity for the most intelligent reader. It's a great starting point if you're already an IT professional.

[MacBobby Chibuzor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's ever a "the only Blockchain book you'll ever need" challenge, this book wins it.

Imran takes us to Blockchain under the hood, showing us definitions, architecture, what's possible, and lots more.

[Nguyen Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

overall good breadth. This books dive surprisingly deep into certain technical aspect. A bit too ethereum heavy, which is not necessarily the solution of choice. Still, it provides good coverage into other topics as well.
The book does a good job discussing the scalability issues.

[Jeevan Koneti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to get an overview on blockchain and different possibilities with the technology

[James Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most comprehensive book out there , just beware of other cheap imitations out there with the same name

[Gabomur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overall Explanation, using this book for my thesis

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book
I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn blockchain

[Kaden Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting point if you want to grasp the basics of blockchain. For me, I like the introduction of basic concepts and the bitcoin part of it.

[Ed Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best out there. The blockchain bible!
One advice for the readers : beware of the cheap imitations with the same name.

[Eddy D. Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro más completo y técnico que leí hasta el momento sobre Blockchain, aborda a detalle la arquitectura blockchain sus variantes, las criptomonedas, hace mucho incapié en el cifrado, incluso con ejemplos, las diferencias entre los altcoins y al final habre un abanico de posibilidades de implementación de blockchain.
Si eres desarrollador o ingeniero con buenos conocimientos de matemáticas y quieres conocer todo el ecosistema blockchain, este libro si es para ti.
Si no tienes bases en matemáticas, criptgrafía, programación, sistemas distribuidos... deberías repasar un poco antes de leerlo, es muy técnico.

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely written. Explains many latest topics.
I especially liked the consensus protocols chapter. I am also using it as a course text as it has presentation slides and review questions for students too.

Mastering Blockchain: A deep dive into distributed ledgers, consensus protocols, smart contracts, DApps, cryptocurrencies, Ethereum, and more, 3rd Edition

[Eddy D. Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This in update for the same book but this edition have some fixes and more graphical than other editions, this book is good to understand blockchain.

[Sami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very technical book about blockchain (NOT just Bitcoin), and the down-to-the-code level content is excellent.

Do not expect coverage of higher-level issues as that is superficial at best.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most comprehensive!
With new chapters on consensus, tokenization, serenity and enterprise chains. Very impressed!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blockchain bible. A must read.

[Bill Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also read the 2nd edition , this is even better! Really good and comprehensive coverage of all topics.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far so good! Read a few chapters and found it very useful. It’s permanently on my desk now as a reference!

[Niel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using this to teach blockchain to my team at work. The book also comes with academic slides for all chapters and review questions Which is available On github. Really useful.