Book Summary - Intro to Ethereum and Solidity

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Ethereum Blockchain

  • Blockchain Dfn
    • What
      • Is a fully distributed peer-to-peer software network
      • Uses cryptography to securely host apps and store data
      • Able to transfer digital representation of real-world money
    • How
      • Uses cryptography to secure a single computing environment from multiple machines without a central authority or owner
  • Cryptography Dfn
    • What
      • Communication via encoded messages
  • Ethereum Dfn
    • What
      • Protocol - Ethereum Protocol is an extension derived from Bitcoin that is a Turing-complete data structure with the ability to save state (a stateful system that detects and remembers information changes over time) when building decentralised applications
      • Network - Ethereum “peer-to-peer” Network of computers using the Protocol that are connected to each other running the same software
      • Project - Ethereum Funding source
      • Distributed Apps (Dapps) - applications built with Ethereum kit
      • Cryptoeconomics - Study of economic activity conducted across a secure Ethereum Network using a system of incentives and disincentives
    • How
      • Custom Decentralised Economic Systems - Build custom decentralised economic systems that include:
        • Account management
        • Currency unit of exchange (aka Coins/Tokens/Cryptocurrencies) that are only usable within the system
      • Web browser access to Ethereum Network
        • Use software libraries like Web3.js to connect an applications front-end (browser GUI) to its back-end Ethereum Network blockchain via JavaScript APIs
      • Custom Financial Contracts (aka Smart Contracts)
        • Write financial contracts with other Ethereum users using the Solidity programming language and leverage the stateful nature of Ethereum to engineer transactions between users under certain conditions using control flow
Written on September 21, 2017