This book is the first to present the state of the art and provide technical focus on the latest advances in the foundations of blockchain systems. It is a collaborative work between specialists in cryptography, distributed systems, formal languages, and economics, and addresses hot topics in blockchains from a theoretical perspective: cryptographic primitives, consensus, formalization of blockchain properties, game theory applied to blockchains, and economical issues.

This book reflects the expertise of the various authors, and is intended to benefit researchers, students, and engineers who seek an understanding of the theoretical foundations of blockchains.

• Preface


• Acknowledgments


• Cryptographic Tools for Blockchains


• A Consensus Taxonomy in the Blockchain Era


• The Next 700 Smart Contract Languages


• Formalization of Blockchain Properties


• Adversarial Cross-Chain Commerce


• Strategic Interactions in Blockchain: A Survey of Game-Theoretic Approaches


• Bankruptcy Solutions as Reward Functions in Mining Pools


• Tokens and ICOs: A Review of the Economic Literature


• Editors’ Biographies