Introduction to Blockchain Programming

In this book, we'll learn blockchain programming so that you can become a force to be reckoned with when finding blockchain opportunities. To achieve this, you need to begin by understanding blockchain technology and what it entails. In this chapter, we will learn what blockchain technology is. How does blockchain empower Bitcoin and Ethereum? We will get an intuitive understanding of blockchain technology. We will also replicate some basic functions behind blockchain.

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

• The rise of cryptocurrency and blockchain
• Blockchain technology
• Cryptography
• The hashing function
• Consensus
• Coding on the blockchain