Understanding Blockchain - Second Book by Jason Ansell

Disclaimer: Not financial advice. Always do your own research and consult a professional finance advisor before making any investments.

So you’ve heard of “Blockchain” and you’ve used them, but what actually is a Blockchain? If this question intrigues you, this book is for you. “Understanding Blockchain: A Beginner’s Guide to the Technology That’s Changing the World” is the second book by Jason Ansell (co-founder of Vector Smart Chain) after his first book success: “WTF is Crypto?“.

Understanding Blockchain is solely focused on helping people understand what blockchain technology is, how it works, why it is needed and the many practical applications of this technology, both online and in the real world. This book also is part of a new “Mastering Crypto” series of books by Jason.

What Will You Learn?

Understanding Blockchain contains a lot of information in its 10 chapters. In a nut-shell, you’ll learn about things like …

The Basics of Blockchain: Understand what blockchain is, where it came from, how it works, and its importance today.
Key Concepts Explained: Gain clarity on terms like distributed ledgers, smart contracts, and decentralization without the technical jargon.
Real-World Applications: Discover how blockchain is being used across various industries, including finance, healthcare, and supply chain management.
Current Challenges: Explore the obstacles blockchain faces, such as scalability issues, energy consumption, and regulatory concerns.
Future Trends: Learn about emerging developments like Web3 and how blockchain technology is expected to develop.

Here’s more of a content breakdown:

Chapter 1 begins by discussing what a Blockchain is, its history and how it has evolved over time. It will also discuss the relevance of Blockchain in today’s world.
Chapter 2 goes a little deeper into Blockchain, describing how they work and the types of consensus mechanisms. You’ll also lean about distributed ledger technology and what blocks, nodes and miners are all about.
Chapter 3 talks about the types of Blockchains that exist: public, private, consortium and hybrid. It will then discuss each Blockchain type in more detail and brief examples of how each type is used.
Chapter 4 dives straight into the application of Blockchain technology in different real-world fields and explains why they can be advantageous.
Chapter 5 goes into the benefits and challenges of Blockchain discussing points such as transparency, security, scalability, energy and legal considerations.
Chapter 6 is all about decentralisation, how it is core to Blockchain, what dApps and Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) are. The book also looks at features, benefits and the challenges of these things.
Chapter 7 discusses what the future holds for Blockchain, its application in web3, its challenges with Quantum Computing and interoperability as well as how these challenges are being addressed.
Chapter 8 gets practical, discussing how to get started using the technology, different wallet types and personal security best practises. It then looks at what smart contracts are, how they work, and examples of how they are used. Finally, you’ll learn about joining a Blockchain network.
Chapter 9 shows case studies and real-world examples of Blockchains being used. It also talks about failures such as BitConnect, Mt. Gox, Terra-LUNA, QuadrigaCX and more.
Chapter 10 finishes the book, recapping some key points by talking about the potential of Blockchain in the future and what you can do to have a part.

How to get it?

“Understanding Blockchain” is available in multiple formats, including digital, print and audio. The audio book version is currently available for free, great if listening to books is more your style.