Learn Blockchain by Building One: A Concise Path to Understanding Cryptocurrencies

Gain working knowledge of how blockchains work by building your own in Python. This book is about learning by doing. Through hands-on exercises and examples, you will experience how blockchains are created and develop a deeper understanding of the technology.

Experts agree that cryptocurrencies will change future economics and possibly everything we know about transacting with each other. Understanding how blockchains work is not easy and wading through all the resources available today can be overwhelming amidst the amplified frustration of being an outsider to an actively-developed technology. This book takes you "under the hood" and shows you how blockchains work. By developing a working knowledge, you will be able to accelerate adoption and liberate yourself from the tyranny of third-party trust.

What You Will Learn

• Develop a fully-fledged blockchain in Python
• Comprehend of Proof of Work
• Grasp core cryptographic concepts, such as hashing, encryption, and digital signatures
• Understand how gossip protocols and peer-to-peer networking works (by implementing a TCP client-server)
• Realize the differences and trade-offs between popular blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum

Who This Book Is For

This book is aimed at beginner to advanced programmers in any area from finance to academia. Readers should be comfortable reading and writing basic Python.