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Blockchain is an emerging technology that can radically improve transactions security at banking, supply chain, and other transaction networks. It's estimated that Blockchain will generate $3.1 trillion in new business value by 2030. Essentially, it provides the basis for a dynamic distributed ledger that can be applied to save time when recording transactions between parties, remove costs associated with intermediaries, and reduce risks of fraud and tampering. This book explores the fundamentals and applications of Blockchain technology. Readers will learn about the decentralized peer-to-peer network, distributed ledger, and the trust model that defines Blockchain technology. They will also be introduced to the basic components of Blockchain (transaction, block, block header, and the chain), its operations (hashing, verification, validation, and consensus model), underlying algorithms, and essentials of trust (hard fork and soft fork). Private and public Blockchain networks similar to Bitcoin and Ethereum will be introduced, as will concepts of Smart Contracts, Proof of Work and Proof of Stack, and cryptocurrency including Facebook's Libra will be elucidated. Also, the book will address the relationship between Blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation and Quantum Computing. Readers will understand the inner workings and applications of this disruptive technology and its potential impact on all aspects of the business world and society. A look at the future trends of Blockchain Technology will be presented in the book.

Understanding Cryptocurrencies is perfect for both introductory investors to the digital asset space and experienced investors seeking to gain practical insight into frameworks for understanding digital assets and valuation metrics. The book provides in-depth analysis of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the different types of Altcoins in the ecosystem. The author demonstrates an empirical approach to explaining how digital assets can fit into a diversified portfolio of traditional financial assets, or as a standalone portfolio in a parallel financial ecosystem. The book contains fundamental, technical, and on-chain analytic tools for investors to better understand Bitcoin price cycles that will ultimately lead to better returns. The capital from these price cycles oftentimes migrates to other digital assets, creating a robust ecosystem and providing opportunities for enterprising investors to generate additional alpha. In Understanding Cryptocurrencies, the author also offers options for asset custody and counterargument breakdowns to create better informed investors. Lastly, the author provides poignant insight into the economic inefficiencies created from decades of Central Bank interest rate manipulation and monetary expansion. These inefficiencies have had social, political, and economic implications. It is ultimately due to these inefficiencies that a global sound money vacuum exists for Bitcoin and other digital assets to exploit.

The convergence of Algorithms, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ABC) has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the current world of work. This book investigates the effects of this on the worker, the organisation and the economy, by considering a future where the traditional power relationships between workers and firms no longer apply.

Incorporating currencies, payment methods, and protocols that computers use to talk to each other, digital currencies are poised to grow in use and importance. Taking a cross-country perspective, its comprehensive view of the field includes history, technicality, IT, finance, economics, legal, tax and regulatory environment. This book discusses all major strategies and tactics associated with digital currencies, their uses, and their regulations; presents future scenarios for the growth of digital currencies; is written for regulators, crime prevention units, tax authorities, entrepreneurs, micro-financiers, micro-payment businesses, cryptography experts, software developers, venture capitalists, hedge fund managers, hardware manufacturers, credit card providers, money changers, remittance service providers, exchanges, and academics. --

Whereas digital payments have been identified as a solution to health payment challenges, evidence on their adoptability among Community Health Workers (CHWs) is limited. Understanding their adoptability is crucial for sustainability. This study assessed the adoptability of digital payments for CHWs in Wakiso district, Uganda. A convergent parallel mixed-methods study was conducted between November and December 2022, in Wakiso district, Uganda. We surveyed a random sample of 150 CHWs using a structured questionnaire and conducted key informant interviews among three purposively selected Digital payment coordinators. The study utilized the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework to assess the adoptability of digital payments among CHWs. Factor analysis was performed to extract composite variables from the original constituting variables. Using the median, the outcome was converted to a binary variable and logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between the TAM constructs and adoptability of digital payments by CHWs. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA 14, while qualitative data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using ATLAS.ti 22. Nearly all participants (98.0%; n = 49) had previously received payments through mobile money, a digital payment method. (52%; n = 78) of CHWs said they intend to use digital payment modalities. Perceived risk of digital payments was associated with 83% lower odds of adoptability of digital payment modalities (OR = 0.17;95%CI:0.052, 0.54), while perceived trust had nearly three times higher odds of adoptability of digital payment modalities (OR = 2.82;95%CI:1.41, 5.67). Qualitative interviews showed that most CHWs reported positive experiences with digital health payments, including effectiveness and completeness of payments except for delays associated with mobile money payments across payment providers. Mobile money was reported to be easy to use, in addition to fostering financial responsibility compared to cash. CHWs in Wakiso district intend to use digital payment modalities, particularly mobile money/e-cash. Perceived risk of the payment method and trust are key determinants of adoptability. Synergized efforts by both payment providers to manage payment delays and mitigate risks associated with digital payments could attenuate perceived risk and build trust in digital payment modalities.

Easy access to the Internet, smartphones, and mobile-based banking change customer shopping intentions. As a crucial component of financial technology (Fintech), mobile wallets enable customers to shop via smartphones. Mobile wallets present a cashless transactional method, cost-efficient services, and traceable options that improve sustainability in payment services. Over the last decade, mobile wallet services have evolved and attracted considerable attention from customers and companies. Due to the need for a comprehensive mobile wallet literature survey, this article aims at filling this research gap by covering articles published between 2012 and 2022 over the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. A clear filtering policy was conducted to observe the related article topics. Thus, 128 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed. Moreover, the articles were initially classified into three main groups, which was performed via scanning and categorizing all studies in the last ten years from different databases. In addition, the literature was systematically reviewed, providing a better understanding of mobile wallets and contributing to the literature by researching how this service can be improved for payment services with a focus on sustainability. The conducted literature review revealed that mobile wallets could be promoted in terms of environmental traceability, customer lifetime value, and security.

A Critical Appraisal of Initial Coin Offerings: Lifting the \"Digital Token's Veil\" examines the merits of regulating initial coin offerings under traditional securities regulations and provides and in-depth analysis of digital tokens as a new asset class.

Blockchains and technologies supported by blockchains such as distributed apps (DApps/smart contracts), NFTs, and Web3 are taking the world by storm. Everyone is talking about them, and developers knowledgeable in these technologies are some of the highest-paid in the world! There are so many components to a DApp that you can easily get lost in the hundreds of components, libraries, and tools floating around the web. To learn how to create DApps, you can assume that a blockchain is a distributed data store that provides certain guarantees. Then, start using existing blockchain frameworks to deploy your DApps just as you would deploy your sites on the web without having to rebuild a web server! This is the approach we take in this course. You will set up a blockchain environment using stable, easy-to-use frameworks. Then, you will look at two smart contracts (or DApps) and deploy them first locally and later a global distributed TestNet. This will take you through all the steps needed to deploy your own DApp with minimal effort. In the end, you will deploy your (and your clients’) DApps on the Ethereum mainnet. By the end of this course, you will be able to create your first DApp on Ethereum.

In this video, Professor Maldonado discusses the swift transition towards cashless transactions driven by technology, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, cash usage was declining, with debit and credit cards gaining prominence. Businesses are now embracing cashless payments, citing efficiency and convenience. The video underscores the transformation of payment habits and the evolving landscape of finance.

Blockchain technology is giving birth to new business models, inspiring communities to build economies on a decentralized network. This book will be your practical guide to get you up and running with concepts of building your very own Blockchain network. You will get a thorough understanding of how a decentralized network is built and deployed.