Exploring Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology is essentially an ever-growing list of records. It employs peer-to-peer networking to manage data flow between different nodes, also known as Blocks. In a blockchain, each block contains the address of the block before it and the block after it, with various algorithms used to locate a specific block within the chain. Each block stores identical data, and any legitimate data addition is updated across all blocks.
The blockchain network consists of three fundamental components: Distributed/Decentralised ledger technology, Immutable records, and Smart contracts. Depending on the design, a blockchain program can be public, private, consortium, hybrid, or interoperable, as seen in most cryptocurrency networks.
Mainstream Applications of Blockchain Technology
While the potential of blockchain technology is vast and largely unexplored, some of its most prominent applications include Cryptocurrency, Smart Contracts, Financial Services, Online Games, Energy Trading, Supply chain management, Anti-counterfeiting, Healthcare, Election/Voting, and Domain names.
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