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20 Resources to Learn More about Blockchain and Cryptography

Cryptography has never been so popular. Blockchains, crypto-currencies, and especially Bitcoin are on the news almost on a daily basis. But, modern cryptography and blockchain are very technical subjects, and several aspects of them are not easy to understand. So, how much do we really know about these new technologies that promise to change our lives in the next few years?

Here, I’ve gathered together 20 resources that can help us to learn more about the ins and outs of cryptography and blockchains. Some of these resources are rather technical, but many of them avoid the tech stuff and aim to be accessible to anyone.


Articles

How the Bitcoin protocol actually works
by Michael Nielsen
In his own words, the author aims to "explain the major ideas behind the Bitcoin protocol in a clear, easily comprehensible way. From the first principles, build up to a broad theoretical understanding of how the protocol works, and then dig down into the nitty-gritty, examining the raw data in a Bitcoin transaction".

Crypto Tokens: A Breakthrough in Open Network Design
by Chris Dixon
In an Internet that is dominated by a few, huge corporations, crypto tokens allow the creation of open networks and may incentivize users, developers, investors and service providers to participate in them.

Blockchain: What is it good for?
by Ed Felten
The author analyses blockchain technology and questions about which aspects of it are really disrupting and which ones are fundamentally useless.

Blockchain –It’s all about security & decentralization
by Rainer
An introduction to the blockchain, focusing on how does it work and why does it have the capacity to disrupt several areas. 

Why It’s Hard to “Get” Bitcoin: The Blockchain Spectrum
by Dhruv Bansal
Going beyond technological considerations, this article contextualizes blockchains as a new socioeconomic, interdisciplinary pattern.

WTF is The Blockchain? The ultimate 3500-word guide in plain English to understand Blockchain.
by Mohit Mamoria
An introductory, but complete explanation of bitcoin technology written in plain language. 

When do you need blockchain? Decision models.
by Sebastien Meunier
Blockchains will disrupt many aspects of our life, but it doesn’t mean it’s the solution to every problem. Here, the author gathers together several decision models, aiming to clarify when and where we should resort to blockchains.

How is Blockchain improving Healthcare
by Irfan Kalu
Not everything in blockchain is about crypto-currencies. The author focuses here on how this new technology is already changing the healthcare industry.

 

Books

Introduction to Modern Cryptography (2nd edition)
by Jonathan Katz & Yehuda Lindell
A complete and rigorous, yet accessible introduction to cryptography, it’s used as a textbook in some of the world’s most important universities.

Understanding Cryptography: A Textbook for Students and Practitioners
by Christof Paar & Jan Pelzl
A textbook on cryptography for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses and also for self-study by engineers. Also, the book’s website offers several additional resources.

Serious Cryptography: A Practical Introduction to Modern Encryption
by Jean-Philippe Aumasson
The author goes down the fundamental mathematical concepts at the heart of cryptography, explains the key concepts and discusses common implementation mistakes using real examples.

Blockchain Revolution
by Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott
This book focuses on the changes that blockchain technologies will bring in the next decade and lays out their consequences from economic and sociological points of view.

Blockchain Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction in 25 Steps
by Daniel Drescher
The basics of blockchain technology, explained without mathematical formulas, program code, or computer science jargon.

The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking
by Saifedean Ammous
The author analyzes the historical context of the rise of Bitcoin, the economic properties that have allowed it to grow quickly, and its economic, political, and social implications.

 

Videos

Decrypting Crypto, From Bitcoin and Blockchain to ICOs
by Alex Rampell
The history of cryptography, currencies, and the Internet, and where is it all leading us.

 

An Intro to Crypto: Building Blocks
by Linda Xie
In this introduction to crypto (currencies, tokens, and networks), Linda Xie goes beyond money to question what completely new applications will crypto tokens and networks enable.

 

TED Talks: The Blockchain Explained Simply
by Lorne Lantz
A simple but accurate explanation on how blockchain works.

 

How the blockchain is changing money and business
by Don Tapscott
Don Tapscott presents blockchain as the second generation of the internet and analyzes why it holds the potential to transform money, business, government, and society.

 

19 Industries The Blockchain Will Disrupt
by Future Thinkers
A clear explanation on what’s blockchain, how is it already disrupting several fields and what can we expect from it in the near future.

 

What is a Smart Contract? A Beginner’s Guide
by Ameer Rosic
An introduction to smart contracts, one of the most important implementations of the blockchain technology. 

 

Do you know some more resources that I can add to this list? Tweet us @outvise to let us know.