Blockchain seems to be all the hype these days. But what, exactly, is it?
Blockchain seems to be all the hype these days. The technology is said to have the potential to disrupt many industries and day-to-day operations — from banking to data and information sharing. Players within and outside of the tech world (like this iced tea company ) have been scrambling to capitalize on the system. Many people recognize blockchain as the underlying technology behind bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. But what, exactly, is blockchain? And how does it work? “The best analogy … is to consider [blockchain] the internet of money,” says Andreas Antonopoulos, author of " Mastering Bitcoin " and " The Internet of Money " and host of the podcast " The Bitcoin Podcast ." Or, as Financial Times technology reporter Sally Davies put it, “[Blockchain] is to bitcoin what the internet is to email. A big electronic system, on top of which you can build applications. Currency is just one.” Although blockchain technology is now being used fo...