Blockchain: Methods, Applications and Technology Progress

Blockchain is gaining great attentions in various applications. Blockchain is a shared ledger concept which is highly secure due to the nature of its construction. It is immutable, needs a consensus to add a block to the chain, is held secure by a hash function and is visible to all participants within the blockchain. The methods, impacts and benefits of blockchain are introduced. The applications and the technology progress of the blockchain technology are presented, which include applications and progress in Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud, medical applications and healthcare, supply chain security and management in identity, resources, ownership, mobility and keys for heterogeneous vehicular network.