A quiet revolution is taking place within the computer ecosystem; one that will change the way we do business on the internet. It’s called blockchain, and it promises to disrupt the way people interact with one another online, whether its messaging, banking, keeping up with medical records, land records, booking a vacation, socializing, or voting. Programs are also being developed to use blockchain to serve as one’s identity “papers.” Blockchain technology is based on the idea that all online transactions should be between two people without the need for public or private third-party oversight. Blockchain technology developers believe thoughts and ideas should be shared, not quashed. It’s a world where web platforms are governed by their members, not a board of directors; privacy comes first, and one’s personal information is kept private, not for third parties to take and sell as they, please. Blockchain technology offers everyone opportunities to take part. Anyone can participate in the fast-growing world using non-fungible tokens (NFTs), where works of art, music, literature, and poetry can be tokenized and sold or traded on a blockchain. These components comprise the next generation of the world wide web, which is referred to as Web 3.0. Billions of dollars are being spent to create infrastructure to create a viable framework to mainstream blockchain. This book offers a peek into this new world with examples of how this technology is being used today as well as the hurdles, including legal challenges, it must overcome to be viable. So, if you’re ready, let’s meet blockchain.
