Blockchain Success Stories

Blockchain Success Stories

by Sir John Hargrave, Evan Karnoupakis
Released October 2020
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9781098114824

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Book description

Accessible and fun to read, this practical book contains a collection of stories of organizations using blockchain technology in practice. Through deep research and firsthand interviews, authors Sir John Hargrave and Evan Karnoupakis show you how leading-edge organizations have worked to integrate blockchain into their businesses.

You'll start by exploring the origins of blockchain, with plain-English descriptions of industry terminology like bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts. Then you'll dive into 10 story-driven case studies that will teach you easy-to-understand blockchain best practices.

  • Explore real-life examples of companies developing and integrating blockchain applications for mobile voting, credentialing, supply chains, and a $100 million virtual cat collectible marketplace
  • Discover how blockchain is transforming industries like banking, communications, government, logistics, and nonprofits
  • Learn about engaging blockchain success stories, such as Binance, Ethereum, and Circle
  • Examine common blockchain best practices, with illustrations for easy reference, and learn how to apply them in your business, government project, or charitable foundation

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Table of contents

  1. Introduction: Start with a Story
    1. What You’ll Learn in This Book
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. O’Reilly Online Learning
    4. How to Contact Us
  2. 1. What Is Blockchain?
    1. Blockchain: The Simple Definition
    2. Bitcoin: The Blockchain Origin Story
    3. The First Bitcoin Purchase
    4. How Bitcoin Works
    5. The Decentralized Ledger
    6. Blockchain Is a Platform
  3. 2. Blockchain Building Blocks
    1. Decentralized Ledger Technology: The Beating Heart of Blockchain
    2. Nodes and Miners
    3. The Consensus Algorithm
      1. Proof of Work
      2. Proof of Stake
      3. Experimental Consensus Algorithms
  4. 3. How to Build a Successful Blockchain
    1. Open It Up
    2. Eliminate the Intermediaries
    3. Automate Transactions
    4. Follow the Three C’s: Collaborate, Communities, Consortia
    5. Invest in Good Governance
    6. Build a Great Product
    7. Anticipate the Future
    8. The World of Tomorrow
  5. 4. Helium: A Blockchain-Based Wireless Network
    1. The Helium Origin Story
    2. Solving the Chicken-or-Egg Problem
    3. An Internet for the Internet of Things
    4. The Hotspot Heats Up
    5. Helium Tokenomics
    6. Funding and Team
    7. The Launch
    8. Lessons Learned
    9. Next Steps
  6. 5. Circle: Building a Blockchain Ecosystem
    1. Act 1: Allaire Corporation
    2. Act 2: Brightcove
    3. Act 3: Circle
    4. To Bet or Not to Bet (on Bitcoin): That Is the Question
    5. The First BitLicense
    6. Building the Ecosystem
    7. The Creation of Centre and USDC
    8. Next Steps
  7. 6. CryptoKitties: Blockchain-Based Collectibles
    1. The CryptoKitties Story
    2. The Technology
    3. Building a Blockchain Marketplace
    4. The Launch
    5. The Collaboration
    6. Lessons Learned
    7. Next Steps
  8. 7. Voatz: Blockchain-Based Voting
    1. The Story of Voatz
    2. How It Works
    3. The First Elections
    4. The West Virginia Election
    5. The Run-up to the Election
    6. Election Day Results
    7. Lessons Learned
      1. Know Your Users
      2. Apply a Beginner’s Mindset
      3. Build Trust
    8. Next Steps
  9. 8. Binance Charity Foundation: Doing Good with Blockchain
    1. The Origin Story
    2. How It Works
    3. Why Uganda?
    4. The Pilot Project
    5. The Pink Care Token
    6. How the Cycle Works
    7. Lessons Learned
      1. Transparency
      2. Volatility
      3. Infrastructure
    8. Next Steps
  10. 9. Cardano Foundation: Blockchain Governance
    1. What Is Cardano?
    2. The Three Columns of Cardano
      1. Cardano Foundation Makes Cardano Grow
      2. IOHK Is Cardano’s Core Developer
      3. EMURGO Is Cardano’s Startup Incubator
    3. Government Versus Governance
    4. The Blockchain Balancing Act
    5. Righting the Ship
    6. The Ambassador Program
    7. Lessons Learned
      1. Rely on Experts, but Allow Everyone to Weigh In
      2. Avoid Rigid Decision-Making Structures; Embrace Flexibility
      3. Doing It Right Is Still More Important Than Doing It Quickly
      4. Keep Moving Forward
    8. The Road Ahead
    9. Next Steps
  11. 10. Chamber of Digital Commerce: Blockchain and Government
    1. The Origin Story
    2. The Launch
    3. The Meeting at the Fed
    4. The Structure
      1. Education and Advocacy
      2. Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance Prevention
      3. Regulatory Clarity for Digital Tokens
      4. Organizational Structure
    5. Lessons Learned
    6. Working with States
    7. Next Steps
    8. The Power of the People
  12. 11. Everledger: Blockchain and the Supply Chain
    1. The Origin of Everledger
    2. The Eye of Provenance
    3. The Launch of Everledger
    4. Transparency: It Cuts Both Ways
    5. Beyond the Diamond
      1. Designer Goods
      2. Fine Wine
      3. Electric Vehicle Batteries
    6. Securing Funding
    7. Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead
  13. 12. Learning Machine: Blockchain-Based Credentials
    1. The Origin Story
    2. How Blockcerts Works
    3. Store Just Enough on Blockchain, but No More
    4. The Learning Machine Revenue Model
    5. Education Use Case: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    6. Government Use Case: Republic of Malta
    7. Healthcare Use Case: Federation of State Medical Boards
    8. The Road Ahead
    9. Lessons Learned and Next Steps
  14. 13. Conclusion: Blockchain in Action
    1. Massachusetts: The Hub of Technology
    2. Collaborating with the MassTech Collaborative
    3. The Pandemic Pivot
      1. Solution 1: Blockchain-Based Supply Chains
      2. Solution 2: Blockchain-Based Health Trackers
      3. Solution 3: Blockchain Bonds
    4. Next Steps
  15. 14. Lessons Learned: Blockchain Best Practices
    1. Blockchain Best Practice 1: Have a Great Origin Story
    2. Blockchain Best Practice 2: Open It Up
    3. Blockchain Best Practice 3: Collaboration, Communities, Consortia
    4. Blockchain Best Practice 4: Stick to Your Vision
    5. Blockchain Best Practice 5: Work Within the System
    6. Blockchain Best Practice 6: Hide the Complexity
    7. Blockchain Best Practice 7: Eliminate Intermediaries
    8. Blockchain Best Practice 8: Automate Transactions
    9. Blockchain Best Practice 9: Build for Scale
    10. Blockchain Best Practice 10: Educate, Educate, Educate
  16. A. Teacher’s Guide
  17. Acknowledgments
  18. Index

Product information

  • Title: Blockchain Success Stories
  • Author(s): Sir John Hargrave, Evan Karnoupakis
  • Release date: October 2020
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9781098114824