What do you think?
Rate this book
Blockchain And Decentralized Systems
It is very easy to get into a heated discussion with simply mentioning Bitcoin. Even experienced technologists sometimes miss the point, claiming that blockchain is either a magic pill that will save the entire humanity, or that it is no better than the traditional database with its old tricks. Of course, both views are far from reality. In our book, we set focus on the principles of blockchain and decentralized technologies and answer the question of why a particular technology was designed in a certain way.
What is inside:
Profound ideas in simple language
Principles of how things work are explained in illustrated examples
Not only theory. Technical material is described with real examples of transactions, blocks, etc.
More than 170 unique pictures in different abstraction levels (from metaphors and real-life analogs to detailed charts and in-depth illustrations)
Technology as it is. Even the most revolutionary technologies have their drawbacks, limitations, challenges, and risks. We openly speak about them.
The book has been proofread by around 100 reviewers including members of the Bitcoin community, leading cryptographers, and financial experts.
The idea of decentralization has led to an emergence of a new movement, and with it, offers something far more profound: a drastically new approach that has the power to change the fundamental principles of human interaction.
In today's world, people increasingly want to be able to verify rather than just trust.
The appearance of Bitcoin has shown that a financial system can exist without a single decision-making center; it can be transparent to anyone while maintaining the privacy of user payments.
The principles and architecture of Bitcoin can be applied to solve a wide range of problems, from voting and mutual settlement to supply chain management. Blockchain as a method of secure storage and synchronization of data becomes a tool that allows building reliable and transparent accounting systems.
The main goal of this book is to explain the principles of decentralized systems in the aspects of decision-making, data storage, security management, trusted audit, and privacy. We have carefully selected topics to provide a comprehensive view of the most important technologies for those who wish to innovate. Some of the chapters are focused on technical details, and we do understand that they might seem complicated for the readers without a technical background. However, we aimed to concentrate primarily on a conceptual component, which can be striking for anyone interested in Fintech.
What is inside:
Profound ideas in simple language
Principles of how things work are explained in illustrated examples
Not only theory. Technical material is described with real examples of transactions, blocks, etc.
More than 170 unique pictures in different abstraction levels (from metaphors and real-life analogs to detailed charts and in-depth illustrations)
Technology as it is. Even the most revolutionary technologies have their drawbacks, limitations, challenges, and risks. We openly speak about them.
The book has been proofread by around 100 reviewers including members of the Bitcoin community, leading cryptographers, and financial experts.
The idea of decentralization has led to an emergence of a new movement, and with it, offers something far more profound: a drastically new approach that has the power to change the fundamental principles of human interaction.
In today's world, people increasingly want to be able to verify rather than just trust.
The appearance of Bitcoin has shown that a financial system can exist without a single decision-making center; it can be transparent to anyone while maintaining the privacy of user payments.
The principles and architecture of Bitcoin can be applied to solve a wide range of problems, from voting and mutual settlement to supply chain management. Blockchain as a method of secure storage and synchronization of data becomes a tool that allows building reliable and transparent accounting systems.
The main goal of this book is to explain the principles of decentralized systems in the aspects of decision-making, data storage, security management, trusted audit, and privacy. We have carefully selected topics to provide a comprehensive view of the most important technologies for those who wish to innovate. Some of the chapters are focused on technical details, and we do understand that they might seem complicated for the readers without a technical background. However, we aimed to concentrate primarily on a conceptual component, which can be striking for anyone interested in Fintech.
441 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 24, 2018
18 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Pavel Kravchenko
4 books22 followersSince 2003, Pavel has studied information security, including topics about advanced cryptography. He several times won the all-Ukrainian academic competitions (2005-2007) and received awards for producing the best student research in 2007 and 2008.
In 2012, after publishing a groundbreaking thesis on securing public infrastructure, Pavel received his PhD in cryptography in Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics. Also, he is an author of 20 scientific papers, 12 of which are devoted to blockchain technology and decentralized systems.
From 2006 to 2009, Pavel worked as a security engineer at the leading security company in Ukraine. He was involved in the SAP security project aimed at building the PKI infrastructure in Ukraine.
From 2009 to 2013, Pavel has been working as a team leader and project manager in several IT-projects, including being responsible for the Rabobank's mobile application development. Pavel started his blockchain and cryptocurrency career with researches at a Silicon Valley startup, Stellar.
In 2014, Pavel co-founded Distributed Lab, a venture dedicated to advancing cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies through independent R&D, government projects, collaborations with national universities, and standard-setting initiatives. The company's mission is to build the Financial Internet--open ecosystem where all assets are managed using accessible, secure, and open-source software with a uniform protocol.
In 2012, after publishing a groundbreaking thesis on securing public infrastructure, Pavel received his PhD in cryptography in Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics. Also, he is an author of 20 scientific papers, 12 of which are devoted to blockchain technology and decentralized systems.
From 2006 to 2009, Pavel worked as a security engineer at the leading security company in Ukraine. He was involved in the SAP security project aimed at building the PKI infrastructure in Ukraine.
From 2009 to 2013, Pavel has been working as a team leader and project manager in several IT-projects, including being responsible for the Rabobank's mobile application development. Pavel started his blockchain and cryptocurrency career with researches at a Silicon Valley startup, Stellar.
In 2014, Pavel co-founded Distributed Lab, a venture dedicated to advancing cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies through independent R&D, government projects, collaborations with national universities, and standard-setting initiatives. The company's mission is to build the Financial Internet--open ecosystem where all assets are managed using accessible, secure, and open-source software with a uniform protocol.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 9, 2019
One of the best books on blockchain technology. It will suit both technically enlightened and others. I highly recommend that everyone who wants to understand the technology.
March 9, 2020
I am a college student in Münster and it is quite difficult for us to get MODERN literature on any topic. Digitalization of the economy is my scientific interest and I found your book very useful. I would like to know if you have books other than those on this site? Can I find them electronically?
March 9, 2020
Your work helped me a lot in my studies. Recently I successfully presented a project, largely based on your ideas (or ideas voiced by you), so I would like to convey my gratitude to the entire team of authors.
August 5, 2021
Pretty good intro to the blockchain for beginners. Helped me a lot. However, I feel like the book contents have a rather uneven depth across the chapters (some are too nuanced and hard for a novice to understand, some are too shallow). Still, I can confidently recommend this book.
December 8, 2019
Отличная книга для начинающих, чтобы окунуться в мир криптовалют))
March 8, 2020
Like it
March 9, 2020
I read the entire series except this book. I look forward to useful content
March 9, 2020
absolutely no regrets that I bought it
March 10, 2020
I liked the second part more. But respect to the author, a good collection!
September 18, 2024
I don't think I understood everything here.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews