Grokking Ethereum

In this chapter, we will try to understand Ethereum. We will study what decentralization means and whether Ethereum is truly decentralized. We will also cover its core technological stack and get familiar with various jargon such as mist, Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), swarm, whisper, ether, and gas. We will briefly discuss solidity and the notion of a Turing complete language. We'll then revisit forking, mining, and block architecture from the perspective of Ethereum. We'll end this chapter by getting an understanding of Ethereum wallets and client interfaces, which will serve as a firm base for smart contract development.

After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

• Understand the concept of Ethereum
• Appreciate the notion of decentralization
• Be familiar with Ethereum related jargon
• Know about solidity and Turing complete languages
• Comprehend Ethereum mining, forking, and block architecture
• Recognize various Ethereum wallets and client interfaces