Blockchain Basic Learning Path - From Bitcoin to Web 3.0… the technologies around blockchain
Although some initiatives had been published around those topics earlier, it is back in 2008 that Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the concept of a cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) that could be managed securely and independently from a central authority thanks to the use of a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) aka blockchain. This technology allows to securely store information in a way that is secure, immutable, transparent and resilient, even in case of malicious behaviors. Since then, blockchain has evolved through different generations, supporting more and more complex use cases and being used in a wide diversity of domains, finance, digital rights, real estate, ehealth… In this learning path, we will cover the basics around blockchain technologies; what are the assumptions, the blocks on which it is building, the opportunities and also the challenges and some examples of usage.
How does a blockchain work?
Let’s start this journey with a short video that explains how a blockchain work in an easy and accessible language; it explains the organization of data in a blockchain, i.e. by using a chain of blocks, and illustrates its main security attributes: immutability, transparency, resilience.
The Blockchain & Bitcoin
To follow-up on the previous presentation, this video from Computerphile goes deeper into the core concepts behind the blockchain: decentralized network, ledger, authenticated transactions, immutability and hashing algorithms; it may sound a bit technical, but it will become clearer as you progress along this learning path. If you have difficulties understanding the cryptographic functions, just refer to the resource in the Advanced Learning Materials.
Distributed Consensus Protocol: A Key Component of Blockchain
At the core of the blockchain, we have a set of computers (nodes) that each store the content of the ledger and communicate to update the ledger in the same way, ensuring that at any point of time, all nodes share a common view of the ledger. But in a network where some nodes might be slow, failing or even be malicious, and communicate through networks that also have different speeds or sometimes suffer from interruption, how can we ensure that all nodes eventually come to the same content of the ledger? This is the goal of the consensus protocol. Bitcoin is known to use a Proof of Work protocol, but there are many others, and this article discusses them along with their pros and cons.
The Complete Guide for Types of Blockchain
Although the bitcoin blockchain is open to anyone willing to join its network nodes, this may not be desirable in all contexts. In some cases, it may be useful to restrict who can join the node network that manages the ledger. There is thus a need for different types of blockchains, according to who is allowed to act as a node, what trust exists between the nodes… This video presents the different types of blockchains, with their advantages and disadvantages.
Blockchain Explorer
Now that you know more about the structure of a ledger, built of blocks that contain transactions between users, and also include data to ensure immutability of the ledger, you can use this online tool to explore the exact content of the Bitcoin, the Ethereum or other blockchains (remember those blockchains are public). Just select your blockchain of choice on the left, and you will see the block structure that grows across time; click on a block and you’ll see its content (transactions and hash). This will make things more concrete about what data is actually stored on the blockchain.
European Blockchain Services Infrastructure
You now have a good idea of how a blockchain works, let’s have a look at what it can be concretely used for, in the domain of public services. The EBSI (European Blockchain Services Infrastructure) is an initiative of the European Commission and the European Blockchain Partnership that aims to leverage the power of decentralized technologies for the public good. This website collates articles and reports around the business, technology and infrastructure aspects of the EU-wide blockchain network. It also presents several use case scenarios. A worthwhile reading to get insight into how blockchain goes beyond cryptocurrency and applies to public services.
Cryptography in Blockchain
In various videos and documents, you have heard terms like encryption, hash, signature… These are cryptographic terms that describe techniques used to secure data and offer security properties like confidentiality, integrity or authenticity, which are key to the blockchain operation. This documentary website explains those functions at length, starting by explaining why cryptography is needed to secure the blockchain, then presenting the various types of cryptography, their goals and their usage.
This guide is published by the European Digital SME Alliance; it provides an brief overview of blockchain and DLT characteristics before focusing on the uses cases that are relevant for SME. It also examines the policy priorities in Europe as well as in China, together with their impact on European SMEs. A interesting reading for actors in this sector.
Demystifying Web3: From Blockchain to AI and Beyond
Since its introduction back in 2008, blockchain technology has evolved and has undergone several generations. Blockchain is now been considered as one of the foundation blocks of the Web 3.0. But what is the Web 3.0? How does it relate to blockchain? Is it already there or is it a myth? This online course by the eSkills Malta Foundation covers those questions, and others, in an undestable way.
BLOC-511DL: Digital Currency
If you are interested in cryptocurrencies and their impact on the society as a whol, this free MOOC, offered by the University of Nicosia, is for you; most of the course modules are focused on financial and societal aspects of cryptocurrencies, from history of money to decentralized finance (DeFi) through financial institutions, central banking and tax treatment. Next to this very specific part, it also covers blockchain basics, by explaining the consensus problem, the basics of cryptocurrency and how the Bitcoin blockchain operates at its core. A very interesting resource to better understand all dimensions of digital currency.
Blockchain Basics
If you want to know more about internals of a blockchain, and deep dive into Bitcoin and Ethereum, this course will teach you in depth about key aspects of generations 1 and 2 blockchains. It starts by describing the blockchain structure and operating principles, then looks in detail about the key differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum platforms, before discussing how integrity of transactions and blocks are managed. Finally, consensus between nodes and how they actually build trust is defined. This course offers videos but also additional readings and exercises and quizzes. It is part of a Blockchain specialization that covers other aspects linked to blockchain.