This book provides a foundational understanding of blockchain technology. Blockchain Technology has been hailed as the most significant innovation since the internet and some say it is about to take the world by storm. In truth, Blockchains will completely change the way that governments, financial institutions, and health and business systems across the globe process transactions and exchange information. This revolutionary new technology is in fact a multi-purpose tool which can be used in countless applications and will soon impact upon every single one of us from all walks of life. What you'll learn: what the blockchain is; why it is needed and what problem it solves; why there is so much excitement about the blockchain and its potential; major components and their purpose; how various components of the blockchain work and interact; limitations, why they exist, and what has been done to overcome them; and major application scenarios.