Imran Bashir - Mastering Blockchain, Second Edition

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Acquisition Editors: Ben Renow-Clarke, Suresh M Jain
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First published: March 2017
Second edition: March 2018

Production reference: 1290318

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ISBN 978-1-78883-904-4

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Imran Bashir has an M.Sc. in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, and has a background in software development, solution architecture, infrastructure management, and IT service management. He is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the British Computer Society (BCS).

Imran has sixteen years' of experience in the public and financial sectors. He worked on large scale IT projects in the public sector before moving to the financial services industry. Since then, he has worked in various technical roles for different financial companies in Europe's financial capital, London. He is currently working for an investment bank in London as Vice President in the Technology department.

Pranav Burnwal has a background in Research and Development, and he has been working with cutting-edge technologies for the past few years. The technologies he works on range from blockchain, big data, analytics (log and data), cloud, to message queues, NoSQL, web servers, and so on. He has worked across various domains ranging from BFSI, HLS, FMCG, and automobiles to name a few.

Pranav is an active community member in multiple communities. He is the Regional Head for Blockchain Education Network (BEN), a registered NGO and a worldwide network of people of blockchain. He has also organized multiple meetups and a start-up weekend in India.

Pranav has also been an active trainer in the blockchain space for an exciting period of three years now, for an audience ranging from junior developers to senior VPs. This has also given him insights into how people understand a new and complex technology, which helped him frame this book in the best interest of the readers.

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This book has one goal, to introduce theoretical and practical aspects of the blockchain technology. This book contains all material that is necessary to become a blockchain technical expert. Since the publication of the first edition of this book, a lot has changed and progressed further with regards to blockchain; therefore, a need to update the book has arisen.

The multitude of benefits envisaged by the implementation of blockchain technology has sparked profound interest among researchers from academia and industry who are tirelessly researching this technology. As a result, many consortia, working groups, projects, and professional bodies have emerged, which are involved in the development and further advancement of this technology. The second edition of this book will provide in-depth insights into decentralization, smart contracts, and various blockchain platforms such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Hyperledger Fabric. After reading this book, readers will be able to develop a deep understanding of inner workings of the blockchain technology and will be able to develop blockchain applications.

This book covers all topics relevant to the blockchain technology, including cryptography, cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and various other platforms and tools used for blockchain development. It is recommended that readers have a basic understanding of computer science and basic programming experience to benefit fully from this book. However, if that is not the case then still this book can be read easily, as relevant background material is provided where necessary.