Foundations of Blockchain: Theory and Applications (SpringerBriefs in Computer Science)

✍ Scribed by Ahmed Imteaj, M. Hadi Amini, Panos M. Pardalos

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 80
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of fundamental topics related to blockchain. Throughout, the authors explore different vital issues and specific areas of blockchain. For convenience, the authors present the elementary description, visualize the working procedure of blockchain paradigm, and highlight the areas it can be applied in real life. They explain the blockchain process from a diverse perspective i.e. distributed Internet of Things (IoT), interdependent networks, intelligent mining, etc. They also analyze the interconnection of a blockchain network and such novel research areas to show a pathway towards a new research direction. This book also holds the core challenges and open research issues of blockchain technology, considering existing applications. Chapters include consensus mechanisms of blockchain, blockchain applicability in centralized and decentralized internet of things, blockchain interoperability from the perspective of interdependent networks, and blockchain for resource-constrained devices.

• Specifies the importance of theoretical methods in dealing with problems in the context of blockchain for interdependent decision making;
• Provides a comprehensive investigation of blockchain algorithms and the recently developed methods based on this algorithm;
• Provides basics and mathematical foundations needed to learn and deploy blockchain.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface
Contents
About the Authors
Part I Blockchain Theory
1 Introduction to Blockchain Technology
1.1 What Is Blockchain Technology?
1.2 Blockchain Components
1.2.1 Cryptographic Hash Functions
1.2.2 Transactions
1.2.3 Asymmetric-Key Cryptography
1.2.4 Block
1.2.5 Chaining Blocks
1.3 How Blockchain Works
1.4 Key Characteristics of Blockchain
1.4.1 Decentralization
1.4.2 Immutability
1.4.3 Anonymity
1.4.4 Auditability
1.4.5 Non-repudiation
1.5 Taxonomy of Blockchain
1.5.1 Public Blockchain
1.5.2 Private Blockchain
1.5.3 Consortium Blockchain
1.6 Examples of Blockchain Applications
1.7 Advantage and Limitations of Blockchain
1.8 Discussion
References
2 Toward Smart Contract and Consensus Mechanisms of Blockchain
2.1 Smart Contract
2.1.1 Creation of a Smart Contract
2.1.2 Deployment of a Smart Contract
2.1.3 Execution of a Smart Contract
2.1.4 Completion of a Smart Contract
2.2 Blockchain Consensus Algorithms
2.2.1 Proof-of-Work (PoW) Consensus Model
2.2.2 Proof of Stake (PoS)
2.2.3 Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance
2.2.4 Proof of Elapsed Time
2.2.5 Proof of Activity
2.2.6 Proof of Importance
2.2.7 Proof of Capacity
2.2.8 Proof of Burn
2.3 Comparison of Typical Consensus Algorithms
2.4 Discussion
References
3 Blockchain Interoperability from the Perspective of Interdependent Networks
3.1 Interoperability Definition
3.2 An Architecture of Interoperability
3.2.1 Data Generation in Data Layer
3.2.2 Cross-Chain Mechanism in Network Layer
3.2.3 Verification of Transaction in Consensus Layer
3.2.4 Smart Contract for Cross-Chain Mechanism in Contract Layer
3.2.5 Application Programming Interface (API) in Application Layer
3.3 How Blockchain Interoperability Concept Can Be Useful for Interdependent Networks?
3.4 Interoperability Challenges
3.4.1 Assurance of Atomicity
3.4.2 Improvement of Efficiency
3.4.3 Maintenance of Security
3.4.4 Handling of Diversification
3.5 A Comparison of Existing Interoperability Schemes
3.6 Open Issues and Challenges
3.7 Research Directions
3.8 Discussion
References
Part II Blockchain Applications
4 Blockchain Applicability in Internet-of-Things (IoT) Environment
4.1 Importance of Integrating Blockchain with IoT
4.2 Customized Application of Blockchain in an IoT Environment
4.3 Blockchain-Based IoT (BIoT) Applications
4.3.1 Smart Home
4.3.2 Smart Energy
4.3.3 Smart Healthcare
4.3.4 Supply Chain Management
4.4 Current Challenges of BIoT Application
4.5 Discussion
References
5 Leveraging Blockchain Technology for Artificial Intelligence
5.1 Importance of Integrating Blockchain with AI
5.1.1 Improved and Secured Decision Outcomes
5.1.2 Collaborative Decision and Decentralized Intelligence
5.1.3 Reliable and Trustworthy Intelligent Decisions
5.1.4 Higher Efficiency
5.2 Goals of Blockchain-Based AI Applications
5.2.1 Autonomous Computation
5.2.2 Planning
5.2.3 Discovering New Knowledge
5.2.4 Perceive Environment
5.2.5 Efficient Searching
5.2.6 Optimization of Decision-Making Process
5.3 Emerging Challenges and Research Gaps
5.3.1 Privacy
5.3.2 Security
5.3.3 Scalability
5.3.4 Consensus Protocol Design for AI Applications
5.3.5 Blockchain Regulations and Interoperability
5.3.6 Governance
5.4 Discussion
References
6 Coupling Blockchain with Emerging Real-Life Applications
6.1 Blockchain in Healthcare
6.2 Energy Market Trading
6.3 Banking and Finance
6.4 Agriculture and Food Supply Chain
6.5 Smart City
6.6 Smart Manufacturing
6.7 Voting
6.8 Personal Identity Management
6.9 Discussion
References
Index