A comprehensive and practice-oriented exploration of blockchain technology, tracing its evolution from Bitcoin to Ethereum and beyond. This volume explains blockchain's foundational principles, such as decentralization, immutability, and cryptographic security, before moving into real-world applications across finance, supply chain management, healthcare, governance, and emerging tech ecosystems. With contributions from leading researchers and practitioners, the book examines both opportunities and challenges ranging from scalability and energy consumption to regulatory clarity and security. Readers also gain insights into cutting-edge developments like smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), identity systems, Layer 2 solutions, DAOs, and blockchain's synergy with IoT and AI. Key Features Explains the core principles of blockchain, from decentralization to cryptographic security. Traces the evolution from Bitcoin and Ethereum to DeFi, smart contracts, and dApps. Demonstrates applications across finance, healthcare, supply chain, governance, and identity management. Addresses pressing challenges, including scalability, energy use, regulatory frameworks, and security threats. Explores future trends like interoperability, DAOs, Layer 2 solutions, and integration with IoT and AI.
