Blockchain

Blockchain aka Blockchain is a consistently growing list of blocks or records that are linked and protected using cryptography. Every block contains one cryptographic hash of a previous block, transaction data, and a timestamp. By design, one blockchain is fundamentally resilient to alteration of data. This open disseminated ledger can record each transaction efficiently between 2 parties permanently and variably. To make it a distributed journal, one blockchain is managed collectively by peer-to-peer network adhering to the protocol to validate new blocks. Once you record a transaction, the data will be secured because you can’t alter data retroactively without making changes in the subsequent blocks that needs the agreement of the majority over the network.      

The software has a secure design and demonstrates a dispersed computing system with Byzantine high fault lenience. The decentralized consensus is required with the blockchain. It can potentially increase the suitability of blockchain for recording, medical records and activities to manage records, such as transaction processing, identity management food traceability and documenting provenance.   

Blockchain requires you to identify:

• Network of Blockchain either private or public
• Tangible or intangible assets
• Transactions 
• Participants (Actors) in Blockchain

Fundamental Uses of Application of Blockchain Technology

System of Record

The blockchain technology uses the following methods to record important data.

Tokenization

Tokenization is a procedure of substituting the elements of sensitive data with non-sensitive equivalent known as a token without any exploitable or extrinsic value or meaning. The token works as a reference to map back sensitive data through a particular tokenization system. The tokenization system is secured and authenticated with the use of best practices applicable to authorization, authentication, audit, secure storage, and data protection. The system offers applications for data processing with interfaces and authority to request tokens and detokenize again to sensitive data. The token serves as a digital asset to transfer instantly between 2 parties over the internet without relating a 3rd party. Tokens serve as a replacement for conventional currency, such as XRP, Stellar Lumens, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin.

They may be designed to offer the accurate future service or good or to execute and set up smart contracts. Tokens are backed by one particular asset like silver, gold or other collateral. Each platform of blockchain is powered by tokens and referred as coins. The Bitcoin serves as a token just like Dash, Litecoin and numerous other currencies on Blockchain. The tokens may represent money while representing other things. The demand for the particular product of Blockchain becomes the primary determinant of value and final market price is token. You may find variation in the cost difference of Altcoins in Blockchain environment. For instance, Bitcoin is accepted by Litecoin merchants and offer more value. 

Digital Identity 

It is an essential information of an object used by your computer systems to exemplify an outside agent. The agent can be an individual, application, device or organization. The information contained in one digital identity allows authentication and assessment of a user interrelating with a particular business organization on a web without involving human operators. Digital identities permit access to computers and their provided services for automation and increase the probability of computers to arbitrate relationships.

The digital identity comes to signify aspects of personal and civil identity that may be resulted from widespread use of individuality information to represent individuals in computer systems.       

Digital identity is frequently used in two ways that need data about persons stored in computer systems to associate with national or civil characters. Moreover, the digital identities are widespread as the online activity of a person. The online activities may vary, such as social security, purchasing history, online and search activity. Primarily a platform where the information is available for public and not anonymized. It can be utilized by others to discover the civil identity of a person. In a broad sense, the digital identity can be a facet, version and social identity. It is commonly mentioned as a particular online identity.

Management of digital identity is important to social and business transactions. It offers ways to interact with billions of people in the digital world. The system of traditional identity can be disjointed, costly, hindering innovation, improving customer experience and fallible.    

A distributed trust prototype is a way to manage identities. Blockchain technology authorizes customers to control their identity and share between reliable entities with their approval. Not a single institution can compromise the identity of the consumer.

Data Management 

For each public and private sector, data management is an important function. They have to maintain information about activities, assets, organizations, and individuals. National, local and regional agencies are charged to keep records that include information about business licensing, criminal activity, property transfer, marital status, death and birth dates. Management of this data can be complicated, even for cutting-edge organizations. Some organizations prefer paper-based data, but this outdated mode of data management will not protect you against manipulation and unauthorized access.

Blockchain technology can simplify the management of confidential information. The whole system makes it easy for public agencies to access and utilize essential data of public-sector while managing the security of the information. A blockchain is a digitally encoded ledger to store data on multiple computers in a private or public network. It encompasses blocks or data records. Once these blocks become the part of a chain, they can’t be modified or deleted by a solo actor instead they are managed and verified via shared governance and automation protocols. 

After some evolution, blockchains can store arbitrary data and establish permissions for the modification of data through self-executing and self-administering scripts that are performed through a disseminated virtual machine. These scripts are smart contracts that allow the operators of platform to define fully customizable and complex rules that governs the interaction of blockchain with users. The rules can be different from restraints that appear in conventional database because they are linked to the legality of transformations instead of the status of database. Each business transaction or the deal is evaluated against the rules by each node in a network and failed are forbidden instead of relayed on.

Blockchains are nice because they use old concepts of replication, transaction logs, and concepts of obligates in architecture database and substitute it with an incorporated system of the authenticated transition state.    

Provenance 

Businesses need a platform to keep their supply chains and products traceable and transparent. You can use two kinds of data systems in a sophisticated user interface. Provenance builds a traceability system for product and materials using a data system known as blockchain. The data system is important to store information, open, unchangeable and inherently auditable securely. Provenance data may link to a physical product through smart tags, labeling and embeds for an app or website. A secure and open data system offers you a system of traceability to ensure trustworthy data. Blockchain technology brings significant changes and it may disrupt the attributed and journey of material things. 

Blockchain technology is effective in each industry, such as enhance drug and food traceability and decrease costs linked with factoring. Provenance is a software startup based on blockchain technology. The provenance is testing this technology to authenticate information.  

Audits

By design, blockchain is resistant to change of stored data. A blockchain is a distributed and open ledger to record transactions between parties in an efficient and verifiable manner. Blockchain utilizes a verification source for different reported transactions. Instead of asking financial statements or sending confirmations requests to 3rd party, the auditors can verify the publically available transactions on blockchain ledger. The automation of a verification procedure may drive efficiencies for cost in the environment of audit.

The sample-based functional testing can be challenged because auditors may resort the blockchain technology to test the transaction of whole population within a particular period under observation. The extensive coverage can drastically improve the assistance level in affected engagements of audit.

A low-value transaction in the blockchain takes almost 10 minutes for validation and the verification of a solo block is suitable. The blocks that elapse before a new transaction are considered verified. In the chain, the relevant transactions are immutable and take almost 1 hour for the verification of blocks. As compared to the traditional monetary transactions, this system is better because conventional method takes more time. The real-time pseudo verification blockchain feature may impact the whole audit procedure. Instead of interim assessment, the audit firms can perform on-line consistent evaluations via a particular period under audit.

As per Deloitte Deutschland, a fully automated audit becomes a reality at the end of blockchain road. The evaluation of financial statement declarations like completeness and accuracy, occurrence and existence of information are prime candidates for the audit automation.     

Without any doubt, the blockchain promises secure transactions, but chances of fraud can’t be eradicated entirely. An unknown hack successfully managed to steal Ethereum of almost 32 million dollar worth in 2017. The leading cause of the fraud was not associated with the deficiencies of blockchain technology, but vulnerability was within the software designed for the management of Ethereum wallets. This scam was instantly detected and associated equivalence vulnerability alleviated accordingly for the security of remaining wallets.

Consider this breach, it is suggested that the effective acceptance of blockchain depends on the security of the underlying environment. To increase assurance, the audit procedures should be shifted toward the evaluation of operating efficiency of interior IT controls.    

Smart Contracts

It is a PC protocol designed to digitally enforce, verify or facilitate the performance or negotiation of a contract. The contracts allow credible transactions without 3rd parties. The transactions are irreversible and trackable. Nick Szabo proposes these contracts in 1994.

Advocates of smart contracts entitle that many contractual clauses can be partially made or fully self-enforcing, self-executing or even both. These contracts offer better security than superior or traditional law and to decrease cost of transaction associated with contracting. Numerous cryptocurrencies have good types of these smart contracts.

Decentralized system is the best thing of blockchain. The system exists between all available parties and there is no need to worry about middlemen to save conflicts and time. Blockchains have particular problems, but they are secure, cheaper, faster and undeniably good than traditional systems. The governments and banks are frequently turning to these options.  

Smart contracts allow you to exchange shares, money, property and anything in transparent way without any conflict. The smart contracts are better than other technologies to one vending machine. Normally, you may go to notary or lawyer, pay them and wait to get the document. Smart contracts allow you to simply drop one bitcoin into your vending, driver’s license, escrow and anything in your account. Smart contracts define penalties and rules around a contract just like a conventional agreement, but automatically enforce obligations. 

Hard Forks

A hard fork is a particular change in rule that the software imposing the old instructions may see the blocks adhering to new rules like invalid. To avoid split in a blockchain, all running nodes on the old software need an upgrade to new rules. Alternatively, the nodes over new software must return to the previous rules similar to the split of bitcoin on March 12 2013.

Ethereum is hard-forked to make whole the depositors in “The DAO” that are hacked by exploiting the vulnerability in the codes. In this situation, the fork stemmed in the split creating Ethereum Classic and Ethereum chains. NXT community in 2014 was requested to consider hard fork that may lead to one rollback of the records of blockchain to alleviate the effects of theft of NXT 50 million from a leading cryptocurrency exchange. The proposal of the hard fork was rejected and some funds were recovered post ransom payment and negotiations.     

Security Issues

Smart contracts are hi-tech transaction protocol executed regarding arrangements. An intelligent contract of blockchain is visible for all users. It may lead to a particular situation where bugs, counting security holes are invisible and these are difficult to fix. In 2016 June, an attack was executed on “The DAO” draining US dollar 50 million in Ether and the developers conclude to a resolution that would get an agreement. There was a time delay in DAO program before any hacker could remove funds and an Ethereum software was used to claw back funds from attackers before the expiry of the time limit.

Smart contracts may have particular issues, such as easy and insecure constructs and ambiguities. In the language of contract, these were compiler bugs, solidity, bugs of virtual machines of Ethereum, attacks on the network of blockchain, immutability of bugs and lack of central source recording familiar problematic constructs, attacks and vulnerabilities. 

Implementation of Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are useful for different sectors and industries. Inside vow is really hard for a traditional voting system because these can be rigged, but smart contracts may dispel all concerns by offers a secure system. Votes protected by ledger may need decoding and require extra power of computer access. Common people lack advanced computing power so it is necessary to have a good system that is hard to hack. Smart contracts can hike low turnout voter. Just like inactivity originates from a rummaging system that includes completing forms, showing identity and lining up. With the use of smart contracts, volunteers may transfer voting online and millennials may flip out “en masse” for voting. 

Blockchain offers a ledger that is taken as a trustable source but shears possible growls in workflow and communication because of the automated system, transparency and accuracy. The operations of business should endure back and forth while awaiting the approvals and to sort out external and internal issues. A ledger of blockchain can streamline all this. It may cut out discrepancies that occur with the self-governing procedure and may lead to expensive settlement delays and lawsuits. 

Network and Hardware Specifications

Blockchain may run on RaspberryPi and technically it is not demanded. You can get good results by achieving an accurate balance of CPU, disk, processor and network speeds. Moreover, you will need a database and consider the data storage needs for the future. You have to consider chain code smart contracts, expected channels and the size of the network. The hardware depends on numerous other factors, such as peer process required for minimal function. If you want to run a development cluster of four peer nodes, you should have 16G memory on MacBook Pro. The network required lots of crypto processing and you have to consider the acceleration of hardware crypto to improve performance. 

The following steps will help you to understand the blockchain network and connection of transactions with each other.

• A user of blockchain submits a transaction to the network and the transaction may be invoked, query or deploy and issued through an application leveraging SDK or directly via REST API.
• Reliable business networks offer access to auditors and regulators (the SEC in the equities market of the United States).
• The operator of a Blockchain network manages the permissions of the member, such as enrolling a regulator as auditor and user of Blockchain as one client. The auditor is capable of restricting only to enquiring the ledger and the client may be authorized to invoke, query or deploy particular chain code.
• The developer of blockchain writes the client-side application and chain code. The developer can directly deploy chain code to the network via a REST interface. To contain credentials from a conventional data source in one chain code, the developer can use an out-of-band connect for easy access to data.
• The user of blockchain may need a peer node to join the network. Before ensuing with transactions, the node retrieves the enrollment of users along with transaction certificates from the authority. Users should have these certificates to transact on an authorized network.   
• The user may try to drive chain code to verify the credentials of the conventional source of data. To confirm the authorization of the user, the chain code may use one out-of-band connection to the data through a traditional platform of processing. 

Examples of Blockchain Network

Some current models of the Blockchain network are Gladius and Storj that is decentralized cloud storage.

Gladius

DDoS attacks are increasing the reality of businesses with an online presence. These attacks may cost incredible money not only in lost uptime but a loss in customer trust and RP crisis. Gladius offers a decentralized solution for the protection against DDoS attacks and allows you to connect to a protection pool near you to offer an enhanced protect and accelerate content. An excellent user interface and powerful tools allow you to stimulate and protect your website. To increase the usability and comfort of conventional protection services, the Gladius offers improved products. With a web portal, you can monitor bandwidth usage and attacks while gaining inside in the traffic. 

A new protection pool allows you to scale your protection easily. Lots of internet connections may go unused, but with the Gladius node, you can put your money in good use. Each transaction in the public record allows you to get the best deals. Gladius tokens are manageable via Gladius portal to check balance and purchase tokens. 

Storj.io

It is an open-source cloud storage that offers storage of disseminated object, end-to-end encryption and offers access to data. The open-source and free software provide transparency, privacy and security. The cloud platform can change the way people use their own data.  The Storj is a platform that can’t be monitored or censored. This end-to-end decentralized and cloud encrypted storage is based on blockchain technology along with cryptography for the security of files. 

It is a suite of dispersed apps, cryptocurrency, and platform that enables you to hoard data in a decentralized and secure manner. The files are shredded and encrypted in little pieces, such as shards and stored in one decentralized computer network. Storj may be cheaper, stable and faster than a traditional cloud platform. The app uses features of blockchain like cryptographic has for security, private and public key encryption and transaction ledger. Storj is working well to solve the issues to secure data with the use of web app. It allows you to store files and apps. Storj allows you to rent hard-drive space for some money.