1 - Basics of Blockchain Flashcards
What is the web 3.0 about?
Token economy; not only read and write but own
What is the current number of blockchain wallet users?
like 70 million
What is the current number of internet users?
700 million
Metcalfe’s law
the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the system (n^2)
Traditional market potential calculation?
Price * People
Token economy market potential
Price * (People + connected devices) = market potential
-> In web 3 you have a higher user base as you have people and connected devices
What to know about the token economy and the new revenue model?
The token economy offers new revenue models, smaller niches with very low prices and yet a larger number of transactions.
What is blockchain?
A blockchain is distributed, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a network
Order from least to most specific
- Distributed ledger technology (DLT)
- Blockchain
- Bitcoin etc.
3 attributes of a blockchain
- decentralized
- transparent
- immutable
SHA256 how many characters in the hash long?
64 chr; 256 bits; hexadecimal string
Who was SHA256 developed by?
National Security Agency (NSA)
What is a hexadecimal string?
Hexadecimal is the name of the numbering system that is base 16. This system, therefore, has numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. That means that two-digit decimal numbers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 must be represented by a single numeral to exist in this numbering system.
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e, f
Each Hexadecimal character represents 4 bits (0 - 15 decimal) which is called a nibble (a small byte - honest!). A byte (or octet) is 8 bits so is always represented by 2 Hex characters in the range 00 to FF.
How many possible combinations are there in SHA256
SHA-256 produces 256 bits
There are 256 bits and each bit has 2 values (0 or 1), thus 2^256.
Requirements of Hash Algorithm (in Blockchain course cryptographic hash)
- One way
- Deterministic (produces the same result for same input)
- avalanche effect (slightly different input -> completely different output)
- collision resistance:
In the second case (collision resistance), the attacker can freely choose both messages 𝑚1 and 𝑚2, with the only requirement that they are different (and hash to the same value).
A hash function h is said to be collision resistant if it is infeasible to find two values, x and y, such
that x != y, yet h(x) = h(y).
Why is the blockchain immutable?
because of hashing. A simple change in one block changes all following hashes
Consensus options
Proof-of-Work (PoW)
Proof-of-Stake (PoS)
Others
Where in the matrix could we place cryptocurrencies?
Anyone can write and anyone can become a node and read.
Where in the matrix could we place voting?
Anyone can write; owner decides who can read
Where in the matrix could we place a supply chain?
An owner decides who can write; anyone can read
Where in the matrix could we place tax returns?
An owner decides who can write; anyone can read
Energy consumption of one Bitcoin transaction?
2188.6 kWh; 1.2 tones of carbon
Why the energy debate might be too short-sighted
- energy consumption can be reliably traced
- increasing costs are counterbalanced by the ever greater increasing total value secured in the network
- renewables are estimated to account for 77% of total bitcoin mining
- Ethereum switches from PoW to Pos which reduces energy consumption by 99%.
How fast is Ethereum compared to Bitcoin?
Tx per second are 5 for BTC and 20 for Ethereum
How much faster is Ripple than Bitcoin?
300 times faster
Bitcoin’s Lightning Network
The Lightning Network (LN) is a “layer 2” payment protocol layered on top of Bitcoin. It is intended to enable fast transactions among participating nodes and has been proposed as a solution to the bitcoin scalability problem. It features a peer-to-peer system for making micropayments of cryptocurrency through a network of bidirectional payment channels without delegating custody of funds.
Normal use of the Lightning Network consists of opening a payment channel by committing a funding transaction to the relevant base blockchain (layer 1), followed by making any number of Lightning Network transactions that update the tentative distribution of the channel’s funds without broadcasting those to the blockchain, optionally followed by closing the payment channel by broadcasting the final version of the settlement transaction to distribute the channel’s funds.
Smart Contract definition
A smart contract is a computerized transaction protocol that executes the terms of a contract
Benefits of the smart contract
autonomy: no broker, lawyer or other intermediaries
safety: documents are encrypted on a shared ledger
backup: documents are duplicated many times on the blockchain
speed: fully automated software code without paperwork
savings: cost reduction in the absence of intermediaries
accuracy: no ex-post errors in the absence of manual work
How many cryptos are using the existing blockchain?
76% (3300)
How many cryptos are using their own blockchain?
24% (1000)
Subjective theory of value
The subjective theory of value holds that the value of a good is not determined by any inherent property of it - nor the amount of labor necessary to produce it - but by the importance an individual places on it for the achievement of his or her ends