Building Blocks and Basics

WTF is the blockchain? — understanding the problem it solves before defining it

by Mohit Mamoria https://hackernoon.com/wtf-is-the-blockchain-1da89ba19348

• Key of a blockchain is the hash of the previous block is stored in the next block, and the contents of the combination of the previous block's key + the contents of the block are hashed to create the "seal." That seal is then tucked away in the next block.
• To modify the contents of an older block, you'd then have to "seal" all other blocks that came after it... an exponentially hard problem

Ever wonder how bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) actually work?

from 3Blue1Brown https://youtu.be/bBC-nXj3Ng4

• Main Ideas
  • Digital signatures
  • The ledger is the currency
  • Decentralize
  • Proof of Work
  • Block chain
• Not covered
  • Merkle trees
  • Alternatives to proof of work
  • Scripting
• Links
  • https://michaelnielsen.org/ddi/how-the-bitcoin-protocol-actually-works/
  • https://blockexplorer.com/

How the bitcoin protocol actually works

by Michael Nielsen http://www.michaelnielsen.org/ddi/how-the-bitcoin-protocol-actually-works/

• you need to be comfortable with public key cryptography, and with the closely related idea of digital signatures. I’ll also assume you’re familiar with cryptographic hashing

Solana Summer: The $21B Blockchain and the Arrow of Time