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Mastering Blockchain

You're reading from   Mastering Blockchain Deeper insights into decentralization, cryptography, Bitcoin, and popular Blockchain frameworks

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Product type Paperback
Published in Mar 2017
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781787125445
Length 540 pages
Edition 1st Edition
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Author (1):
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Imran Bashir Imran Bashir
Author Profile Icon Imran Bashir
Imran Bashir
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Table of Contents (14) Chapters Close

Preface 1. Blockchain 101 FREE CHAPTER 2. Decentralization 3. Cryptography and Technical Foundations 4. Bitcoin 5. Alternative Coins 6. Smart Contracts 7. Ethereum 101 8. Ethereum Development 9. Hyperledger 10. Alternative Blockchains 11. Blockchain-Outside of Currencies 12. Scalability and Other Challenges 13. Current Landscape and Whats Next

Definition


There is no consensus on a standard definition of smart contracts. It is essential to define what a smart contract is, and the following is the author's attempt to provide a generalized definition of a smart contract.

Note

A smart contract is a secure and unstoppable computer program representing an agreement that is automatically executable and enforceable.

Dissecting this definition further reveals that a smart contract is in fact a computer program that is written in a language that a computer or target machine can understand. Also, it encompasses agreements between parties in the form of business logic. Another key idea is that smart contracts are automatically executed when certain conditions are met. They are enforceable, which means that all contractual terms are executed as defined and expected, even in the presence of adversaries. Enforcement is a broader term that encompasses traditional enforcement in the form of law, along with implementation of certain measures and controls...

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