For the past few years, you may have heard the term "blockchain technology" used in reference to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It's possible that you're wondering, "What exactly is blockchain technology?" As a result, it looks to be a cliché, as there appears to be no actual meaning that the common man can immediately grasp. In order to understand how blockchain technology works, you need to know the answer to the question, "What is blockchain technology?"

You have to keep up with blockchain's rapid growth and development in order to be ready for the future. If you're just getting started with blockchain, this is a great place to start. "What is blockchain technology?" is the question you'll learn to answer in this article. Learn how blockchain technology works, why it matters, and how you may put it to use in your professional life.

Blockchain Technology

Transaction records of the public, known as "blocks," are stored in many databases, known as "chains," in a peer-to-peer network connected by nodes. The term "digital ledger" is commonly used to describe this type of data storage. As a result of this, blockchains are also referred to as a distributed ledger technology (DLT).

A new block of data is created when new information is received. A majority of the decentralized network's computing power would have to agree to validate new entries or records to a block. The block's data is chained onto the previous block in chronological sequence once it has been filled with information. The owner's digital signature authenticates the transaction and protects it from tampering, making this ledger secure. Thus, the digital ledger's information is highly secure.

Digital ledgers are similar to Google spreadsheets, in which transaction records are stored based on actual purchases that are shared ledger throughout a network of computers. Although everyone can access the data, they are unable to alter it.

Suppose you're sending money from your bank account to family or friends. Online banking allows you to transfer the money to another person by entering their account number into the system. Once the transaction has been completed, your bank will make the necessary changes to the transaction records. Isn't it straightforward? The majority of us are oblivious to a potential issue.

It is quite easy to interfere with transactions involving this kind of money. As a result, third-party payment programs have grown in popularity in recent years among those who are aware of this fact. However, this weakness is fundamentally what sparked the development of Blockchain technology.

As a digital ledger, the Blockchain is a hot topic in the tech world at the moment. Is there a reason why it's so popular? Let's get right to the point.

The business relies heavily on the maintenance of accurate records of transactions and data. This data is frequently handled in-house or by external parties such as brokers, bankers, or lawyers, which adds time, expense, or both to the business. Fortunately, Blockchain removes this time-consuming process and saves both time and money.

Most people believe that Blockchain and Bitcoin are interchangeable terms, but this is not true. Blockchain is a technology capable of supporting a variety of applications in a variety of industries, including financial services, supply chain, manufacturing, and so on, but blockchain technology ensures the security of Bitcoin as a digital currency. The simplest definition of blockchain technology is a distributed, decentralized ledger that keeps track of the provenance of digital assets.

Blockchain Applications

Data about monetary transactions is stored in blocks on the Bitcoin blockchains , as we now know. There are currently more than 10,000 other blockchain-based cryptocurrency systems in use apart from Bitcoin, Ethereum. Even though blockchain is mostly used for financial transactions, it can also be used to store information about other types of transactions.

This list includes Walmart, Pfizer and AIG among others that have already adopted blockchain technology. As an illustration, IBM's Food Trust blockchain tracks the path food products travel to reach their destinations.

What is the purpose of this? There have been numerous E. coli outbreaks in the food business. coli, salmonella, and listeria, as well as potentially harmful substances, are all examples of foodborne illness caused by contamination. These outbreaks and illnesses have previously taken weeks to determine the source or origin of. Brands can track a food product's journey from its inception to its ultimate delivery using blockchain technology. If a food is determined to be contaminated, the path it took to get there can be tracked back to each point along the journey. These corporations can now now see everything else that has come into contact with them, which means that problems can be identified far more quickly, possibly saving lives. It's only one example of how blockchain is being used, but there are many others.

Banking and Finance

The adoption of blockchain technology by the banking sector may be the best-positioned of any industry. Financial institutions are only open during regular business hours, which are typically five days a week. To put it another way, it's likely that you'll have to wait until Monday morning to see the money you deposited on Friday at 6 p.m. A deposit can take up to three days to process even if it is made during business hours because of the massive number of transactions. Whereas blockchain never sleeps.

The time it takes to add a block in the chain, which is roughly 10 minutes, can be integrated into banks, allowing customers to have their transactions executed in as little as 10 minutes, no matter the day of the week or a holiday. Banks may now move money more rapidly and securely between themselves using blockchain technology. To put it another way, the settlement and clearing process in the stock trading sector can take up to three days (or more, if trading overseas), meaning all of your assets, including money and shares, will be frozen for the duration.

Because of the large sums involved, even a few days in transit can pose considerable expenses and dangers to banks.

Healthcare

Blockchain technology can be used by healthcare professionals to safely preserve patient medical records. An electronic medical record (EMR) can be written into the blockchain to provide proof and assurance that a medical record cannot be altered. A private key might be used to encrypt and preserve these personal health records on the blockchain, limiting who has access to them and so protecting their privacy.

Smart Contracts

A smart contract can be built into the blockchain to facilitate, verify, or negotiate a contract agreement with computer code in place of a human being or a legal representative. There are several requirements that must be fulfilled before agreement can be fulfilled.

Let's say someone is interested in renting an apartment via a smart contract. Once the security deposit has been paid, the landlord agrees to provide the tenant with the apartment's door code. To begin, the smart contract receives payment from both the renter and the landlord, which is then immediately exchanged for the door code and deposit on the start date of the lease. The smart contract returns the security deposit if the landlord fails to provide the door code by the lease start date. Notary, third-party mediation, or attorney fees and processes could be eliminated by using this method instead.

Voting

A modern voting system could benefit from the usage of blockchain technology, as previously stated. Election fraud can be eliminated and voter turnout increased via blockchain voting, which was put to the test during West Virginia's midterm elections in November 2018.

In this approach, it would be practically impossible to tamper with the results of the voting process. The electoral process would be more transparent thanks to the blockchain protocol, which would also reduce the number of people needed to conduct an election and provide officials with results almost instantly. Recounts would be unnecessary, and there would be no serious risk of electoral fraud.