You may have heard that blockchain technology has the ability to revolutionize the way we bank, track assets, verify ownership, transact business in the absence of absolute and/or reliable information on our counter-party/trading partner. What you will notice is that all of these things boil down to this: Trust. Blockchain is the digital manifestation of trust in the digital economy. This trust is built on the basis that blockchain technologies are immutable cryptographic ledgers that will record a vast array of information for the benefit of everyone.

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So how does blockchain technology accomplish this? It comes down to a few simple things that we will go over here, and then we'll give you some real-world examples of how blockchain technology works other than Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

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First, let's address Bitcoin. 

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1. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency. 

2. All cryptocurrencies are blockchains. 

3. All blockchains are not cryptocurrencies. 

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This is an important concept to understand when learning about blockchain and what it can be. Oftentimes people become fixated on thinking about blockchain as purely a cryptocurrency or Bitcoin, which it isn't. Blockchains were first invented to operate the Bitcoin currency, but the applications of blockchains are much broader than just digital money, such as:

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Additional Applications of Blockchain Technology Outside Crypto Currencies:

• Asset Tracking 

• Ownership Verification 

• Property Rights 

• Transaction Streamlining 

• Peer-to-Peer  Transactions, Lending, Agreements, etc. 

• Smart Contracts

• Limit Counterfeit Goods

• Digital Personal Identification (Global or National ID Systems) 

• Music Copyrights

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What are the Key Characteristics of Blockchain Technology:

• Distributed Systems with information stored on thousands if not millions of computers. This makes hacking or corrupting the information exceptionally difficult as every system storing the information would need to be attacked and altered simultaneously to have a chance of being successful.

• Operates as a ledger system recording information in an immutable way

• Very secure and difficult to hack, corrupt, or otherwise take advantage of the system

• Automated. Blockchain technology automatically updates and secures itself without the need for a middle man, supervisor, or other individuals to assist in the process.

• Instant Validation of transactions, assets, etc.

• One Copy/Single Piece of Data. We'd use a simple photo example to explain how we do something today and how it would be different if it were to be done with blockchain technology.

  • Current System of Sharing/Transferring Data: If you take a photo and want to share it with someone, you will do the following:

    • Take a photo and save it to your phone storage.

      • If you have an iCloud, Dropbox, Google Photo, or any other backup service, there will also be another copy of the same photo stored on your backup service.

    • Send a photo to your desired recipient. This results in the following:

      • Copy of the photo is made on your end in your messaging application or email service.

      • Recipient Receives a copy of the same photo, and if they save the photo, will have another copy of the same photo on their phone's storage.

    • The recipient receives their copy of the photo and can now store it on their phone, hard drive, and backup service in the same way as you do.

    • Numerous copies are made in the process. You will notice through this description that every photo (or piece of data) is sent via a copy and duplicated with every system it interacts with. In some cases, you might not care if there are multiple copies of a photo or data, but there are times where you want to ensure that you indeed have the only copy of a photo. For example, in the example we just had, there were 6 copies made of the photo when it was sent from one person to another. All you need to do is replicate the math every time a photo is shared, and you can see how quickly you can lose control over the data.

    • Limited Control of Data. You will also notice the severe limits you have when sending/transferring/controlling the use and distribution of your data. You are generating copies every time you send someone something electronically. Each copy has no limits on the number of times it can be copied. More importantly, if the information is sensitive/valuable, you have no control over the original or future copies.

  • Blockchain System of Sharing/Transferring Data: If you send a photo using a blockchain, the photo (or any data) is transferred, not copied. The numerous copies created in the last example using the traditional model are non-existent as only one copy exists of the photo (or piece of data.) This also provides greater control over the data you send as only copies you create can be transferred, and there will be a record of where it ended up.