Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Cryptoassets: A Comprehensive Introduction

Book Description

An introduction to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology; a guide for practitioners and students.

Bitcoin and blockchain enable the ownership of virtual property without the need for a central authority. Additionally, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies make up an entirely new class of assets that have the potential for fundamental change in the current financial system. This book offers an introduction to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology that begins from the perspective of monetary economics.

The book first presents a nontechnical discussion of monetary theory, enabling readers to understand how cryptocurrencies are a radical departure from existing monetary instruments, and provides an overview of blockchain technology and the Bitcoin system. It then takes up technical aspects of Bitcoin in more detail, covering such topics as the Bitcoin network, its communications protocol, the mathematics underpinning decentralized validation, transaction types, the data structure of blocks, the proof-of-work consensus mechanism, and game theory. Finally, the book discusses specific issues and applications, including price volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and central bank cryptocurrencies, as well as such alternative applications as decentralized verification and attestation, tokens, and smart contracts. The concluding chapter offers practical advice on getting started with Bitcoin. End-of-chapter exercises allow readers to test their knowledge. Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Cryptoassets is suitable for classroom use and as a reference for practitioners.

中文：

书名：比特币、区块链和加密资产：全面介绍

加密货币和区块链技术入门；从业人员和学生指南。

比特币和区块链实现了虚拟财产的所有权，而不需要中央当局。此外，比特币和其他加密货币构成了一种全新的资产类别，有可能从根本上改变当前的金融体系。这本书从货币经济学的角度介绍了加密货币和区块链技术。

这本书首先介绍了货币理论的非技术性讨论，使读者能够理解加密货币是如何从根本上偏离现有的货币工具的，并提供了区块链技术和比特币系统的概述。然后更详细地介绍了比特币的技术方面，涵盖了比特币网络、其通信协议、支持分散验证的数学、交易类型、块的数据结构、工作证明共识机制和博弈论等主题。最后，该书讨论了具体的问题和应用，包括价格波动、监管不确定性和央行加密货币，以及分散验证和证明、令牌和智能合约等替代应用。最后一章提供了有关比特币入门的实用建议。章末练习允许读者测试他们的知识。比特币、区块链和加密资产它适合课堂使用，也可以作为从业者的参考。