Summary

Blockchain is a transformational technology with an impact similar to that of the internet, vaccinations, or powered flight: the social implications are extensive, subtle, and perhaps in some ways pernicious. It has the potential to further degrade privacy, drastically improve corporate governance, or lift billions out of poverty. The specific application of this technology will define it as a tool that will help to shape the world.

In the next chapter, we will discuss some applications of blockchain, starting with the most fundamental of them, cryptocurrency wallets.