Blockchain

In short, blockchain is a immutable linked list of hashes. Which can be used to solve the double spending problem in cryptocurrencies using proof of work (or other methods) and a persistent chain of records (blocks mined).

Consensus algorithms

• PoW: The more hashing power the more trust worthy.

• PoS: The more coins the more trust worthy.

• PBFT: Hand selected trusted nodes.

• Randomized asynchronous algorithm: You trust nobody! Every single node is constantly re-evaluated. (Skycoin)

Interesting applications

• Tezos

• Polkadot

• Horizon State - Digital voting.

• Blockstack - Decentralized apps on Blockstack let you own your data so you can maintain your privacy, security and freedom.

• Cardano - Cryptographic currency implementing Ouroboros PoS protocol.

• Iden3 - Decentralized identity management solution.

• Gnosis - Through blockchain-based, decentralized platforms, we enable the redistribution of resources—from assets to incentives, and information to ideas.

• Digital Asset - Automate and synchronize business processes.

• Purple Protocol - Global Decentralized Ledger Infrastructure.

• Slingshot - New blockchain architecture under active development, with a strong focus on scalability, privacy and safety.

• arweave - New type of storage that backs data with sustainable and perpetual endowments, allowing users and developers to store data forever.

• Foundation - Reclaiming the idea of the stock market to benefit creators and collectors directly.

• Zilliqa

• Zilliqa - Scalable smart contract platform that aims to tackle the congestion issue plaguing the blockchain industry.

Notes

• As blockchain scalability gets better and better, and UX improves and fees drop as a result, this will become a bigger and bigger part of the story.

Links

• Let's build a blockchain! — A mini-cryptocurrency in Ruby (Haseeb Qureshi) (2017) - Great intro to blockchain.

• What is blockchain

• 18 Blockchain Predictions for 2018

• Learn Blockchain in 2 months

• Emerging New Trends in Blockchain Technologies

• Mechanism design challenges in cryptocurrency and blockchains by Buterin Slides

• Edward Snowden Explains Blockchain to His Lawyer — and the Rest of Us

• EOS - Open source smart contract platform.

• The Graph - Discover subgraphs by the leading projects in the Web3 ecosystem. All this data is immediately available for querying using GraphQL.

• IELE Semantics - Semantics of Virtual Machine for IELE prototype blockchain.

• Why Blockchain Could (One Day) Topple Google (2017)

• Squeezer Framework - Build serverless dApps.

• Castle Island Ventures - Venture capital firm focused exclusively on public blockchains.

• Zero knowledge podcast

• Ara - Blockchain powered global rewards system.

• Understanding Blockchain Technologies — A Comprehensive Guide (2019)

• Hedera Hashgraph - Enterprise-grade public network for decentralized applications.

• Toychain - Minimalistic blockchain consensus implemented and verified in Coq.

• Scilla - Smart Contract Intermediate Level Language.

• HotStuff: BFT Consensus in the Lens of Blockchain (2018)

• Full Node - Aspiring blockchain node.

• Concordium - Improved smart contract platform and ecosystem for real-world businesses.

• NEAR Protocol - Scalable and usable blockchain.

• Harmony - Core protocol of harmony.

• DAML - Build full-stack, distributed applications for DLT, Blockchain, or databases in days. (Code) (Article)

• Solana - New blockchain architecture built from the ground up for scale. The architecture supports up to 710 thousand transactions per second on a gigabit network.

• go-algorand - Algorand's official implementation in Go.

• MIT: Blockchain and Money (2018) (Lectures)

• Substrate Recipes - Cookbook of working examples that demonstrate best practices when building blockchains with Substrate. (Code)

• Zebra - Rust implementation of a Zcash node.

• Mechanism Design with Blockchain Enforcement (2020)

• Ask HN: Are there any substantial examples of blockchain solving a real problem? (2020)

• Deconstructing Stellar Consensus (Extended Version) (2019)

• ink! - eDSL to write WebAssembly based smart contracts using the Rust programming language targeting Substrate blockchains.

• Experimental blockchain database

• David Gerard: Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain

• Build a Blockchain from Scratch in Go (2020)

• Smart Contract Languages - Curated collection of resources on smart contract programming languages.

• BlockAtlas - Clean explorer API and transaction observer for cryptocurrencies.

• Rosetta - Open standard designed to simplify blockchain deployment and interaction.

• Band Protocol - Cross-Chain Data Oracle. (Code)

• Tendermint Core - Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) middleware that takes a state transition machine - written in any programming language - and securely replicates it on many machines. (Web)

• Orga - Stack for building blockchain applications powered by Tendermint consensus.

• Cosmos SDK - Framework for building blockchain applications in Golang.

• Gaia - Implementation of Cosmos Hub, built using the Cosmos SDK.

• OpenZeppelin Contracts - Library for secure smart contract development.

• A Philosophy of Blockchain Validation (2020)

• Blockchain, the Solution for Almost Nothing (HN) (Lobsters)

• ViewBlock - Blockchain exploration for the masses.

• Foundations of Distributed Consensus and Blockchains (HN)

• DAO Landscape

• Zerochain - Privacy-preserving blockchain on Substrate. (Docs)

• Gnosis Safe Contracts - Allows secure management of blockchain assets. (Web)

• Stateless Blockchain on Substrate using RSA Accumulators

• Mina Protocol - Lightest blockchain, powered by participants.

• Agoric - Secure smart contracts. (Platform SDK)

• You Don’t Need a Blockchain, You Need a Time-Series Database (2020) (Lobsters) (HN)

• GoChain - Fast, sustainable web3 based blockchain protocol.

• Ask HN: What are real-life useful use-cases for blockchain (not currencies)? (2020)

• Security and Privacy of Blockchain Protocols and Applications (2020)

• The Future of Blockchain with Nick Szabo, Adam Back, & David Chaum (2019)

• Going from Bad to Worse: From Internet Voting to Blockchain Voting (2020)

• It's not that bad: Open letter to MIT Digital Currency Initiative on anonymous voting (2020) (Lobsters)

• Blockchain and Trust (2019)

• Elements Project blockchain platform - Open Source implementation of advanced blockchain features extending the Bitcoin protocol. (Code)

• IRISHub - BPoS blockchain that enables cross-chain interoperability through a unified service model. Built with Cosmos-SDK.

• AergoLite - Replicated SQLite database secured by a private and lightweight blockchain.

• Secret Network - Blockchain-based, open-source protocol that lets anyone perform computations on encrypted data, bringing privacy to smart contracts and public blockchains. (Web)

• Blockchain Technology and Applications | Microsoft Azure

• Indy Node - Distributed ledger purpose-built for decentralized identity.

• Reach - Safest and Easiest DApp Programming Language. (Web)

• Elrond - Highly scalable, fast and secure blockchain platform for distributed apps, enterprise use cases and the new internet economy. (GitHub) (Code)

• Maiar - Digital wallet and global payments app that allows you to exchange and securely store money on your mobile phone. Built with Elrond.

• Hyperledger - Open Source Blockchain Technologies. (GitHub)

• CX - New programming language for blockchain.

• CovenantSQL - Decentralized, trusted, high performance, SQL database with blockchain features. (Code)

• Graph Node - Protocol for building decentralized applications (dApps) quickly on Ethereum and IPFS using GraphQL.