Summary
In this chapter, we investigated the various technologies behind cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. This technology allows us to decentralize how we store values or code. We also covered cryptography by using private and public keys to secure the integrity of data. Later, we learned about hash functions, proof of work, consensus, and the basic concepts of blockchain programming. The blockchain will be an important technology for keeping the truth. So, now is a good time to learn about this technology.
In the next chapter, we will learn about smart contracts, which are programs that live in Ethereum. A smart contract is different than a kind of program that lives on a server, such as an application written with Ruby on Rails, Laravel, or Django. The differences are more than just the syntax; the concept is radically different than a normal web application.
