Blockchains, how do they work and how do i implement one?

How does a blockchain work?

A blockchain works by maintaining a digital ledger of transactions across a network of computers. Each computer on the network, called a node, has a copy of the ledger and the nodes work together to ensure that the ledger is accurate and up-to-date.

Here’s an overview of how a blockchain works:

Transactions: A transaction is initiated when one person sends digital assets (e.g. cryptocurrency, digital certificates) to another person. The transaction includes information such as the sender, the recipient, and the amount of digital assets being transferred.
Verification: The transaction is verified by the nodes on the network using a consensus mechanism. The most common consensus mechanism is called «proof of work,» which involves nodes solving a complex mathematical problem to validate the transaction.
Block creation: Once a transaction is verified, it is added to a block, along with other verified transactions. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and the transaction data.
Chain: The blocks are linked together in chronological order, forming a chain of blocks, hence the name «blockchain». Each block in the chain contains a copy of the previous block’s hash, which creates a link between the blocks and ensures that the data in the blocks cannot be altered.
Distributed ledger: Each node on the network has a copy of the blockchain, which is updated in real-time as new blocks are added. This creates a distributed ledger, where all nodes have the same information and there is no central point of control.
Smart contract: Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement written directly into lines of code, it’s a program that runs on the blockchain and can be used to automate various types of transactions.

One of the key benefits of a blockchain is that it is a decentralized and distributed system, which makes it more resistant to tampering and hacking. Additionally, the use of cryptography ensures that transactions are secure and the consensus mechanism ensures that the ledger is accurate and up-to-date.

How are blockchains implemented?

A blockchain is implemented through a combination of software and network protocols. The software is responsible for maintaining the ledger and the network protocols are responsible for ensuring the security and integrity of the data on the ledger.

Here are the main components of a blockchain implementation:

Node software: Each computer on the network runs a copy of the node software, which is responsible for maintaining the ledger. The node software includes the blockchain protocol, which is responsible for validating new transactions and adding them to the ledger.
Network protocol: The network protocol is responsible for ensuring that all nodes on the network have a copy of the same ledger and that new transactions are broadcast to all nodes. This is typically done through a peer-to-peer network, where nodes can connect to each other and share data.
Consensus mechanism: In order to ensure that all nodes have the same copy of the ledger, a consensus mechanism is used to validate new transactions. The most popular consensus mechanism is called «proof of work,» which involves nodes solving a complex mathematical problem in order to validate a new block of transactions.
Cryptography: Cryptography is used to secure the data on the blockchain by creating a digital signature for each transaction. This signature is based on the private key of the sender and it is verified by the public key of the recipient.
Smart Contract: Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement written directly into lines of code, it’s a program that runs on the blockchain and can be used to automate various types of transactions.

To implement a blockchain, the first step is to choose a consensus mechanism and design the network protocol. Then, the node software and smart contracts can be developed and the network can be launched. Ongoing maintenance and updates are also necessary to ensure the security and scalability of the blockchain.

Can we implement a blockchain with JavaScript?

Yes, it is possible to implement a blockchain with JavaScript. JavaScript is a widely used programming language and it has a large developer community, which makes it a good choice for implementing a blockchain.

There are several JavaScript libraries and frameworks available for building a blockchain, such as:

Node.js: This is a JavaScript runtime that allows for the development of server-side applications. Node.js is often used for building decentralized applications on the Ethereum blockchain.
Web3.js: This is a JavaScript library that allows for the interaction with the Ethereum blockchain. It can be used to create and deploy smart contracts, and to send and receive transactions on the Ethereum network.
Crypto-js: It is a JavaScript library that provides cryptographic functions such as hashing, encryption, and digital signature. It can be used to secure data on the blockchain.
Hyperledger Fabric: it is an open-source blockchain framework and one of the Hyperledger projects hosted by the Linux Foundation. It uses Chaincode, which is written in JavaScript, to implement smart contracts.
IOTA: it’s a distributed ledger technology that uses a new data structure called Tangle, it’s written in JavaScript and can be used for creating distributed systems.

Building a blockchain with JavaScript requires a solid understanding of the underlying concepts and technologies, including distributed systems, cryptography, and consensus mechanisms. It’s important to note that building a blockchain from scratch can be challenging and requires a lot of work, it’s recommended to use an existing blockchain platform or framework and build on top of it.

Implementing a blockchain with JavaScript

Here is a simple example of how a blockchain can be implemented in JavaScript. This example uses a basic data structure to represent the blockchain and includes methods for adding new blocks and validating the blockchain.

class Block {
  constructor(index, timestamp, data, previousHash) {
    this.index = index;
    this.timestamp = timestamp;
    this.data = data;
    this.previousHash = previousHash;
    this.hash = this.calculateHash();
  }
  calculateHash() {
    return SHA256(this.index + this.previousHash + this.timestamp + JSON.stringify(this.data)).toString();
  }
}
class Blockchain {
  constructor() {
    this.chain = [this.createGenesisBlock()];
  }
  createGenesisBlock() {
    return new Block(0, Date.now(), "Genesis Block", "0");
  }
  getLatestBlock() {
    return this.chain[this.chain.length - 1];
  }
  addBlock(newBlock) {
    newBlock.previousHash = this.getLatestBlock().hash;
    newBlock.hash = newBlock.calculateHash();
    this.chain.push(newBlock);
  }
  isChainValid() {
    for (let i = 1; i < this.chain.length; i++) {
      const currentBlock = this.chain[i];
      const previousBlock = this.chain[i - 1];
      if (currentBlock.hash !== currentBlock.calculateHash()) {
        return false;
      }
      if (currentBlock.previousHash !== previousBlock.hash) {
        return false;
      }
    }
    return true;
  }
}

This example is a very basic implementation of blockchain, it doesn’t include some important aspects of a blockchain like consensus mechanism, security and scalability. It’s not recommended to use this example in a production environment, it’s just to illustrate the basic concepts of blockchain.

It’s important to note that building a blockchain from scratch is a complex task, requires a lot of work, and it’s recommendable to use existing blockchain platforms or frameworks to build on top of them. The last piece of code is an example of how a blockchain can be implemented in JavaScript. It uses a basic data structure to represent the blockchain, and includes methods for adding new blocks and validating the blockchain.

The example has two main classes: «Block» and «Blockchain».

The «Block» class represents a block in the blockchain and it has four properties:

«index»: A unique number that identifies the block in the chain.
«timestamp»: The time at which the block was created.
«data»: The data that is stored in the block. This can be any type of data, but in this example, it is a simple string.
«previousHash»: A reference to the hash of the previous block in the chain.
«hash»: A cryptographic hash of the block.

The «Block» class also has a method called «calculateHash()» which creates a SHA256 hash of the block data. This hash is used to ensure the integrity of the data stored in the block.

The «Blockchain» class represents the blockchain and it has an array called «chain» that stores the blocks. It has four main methods:

«createGenesisBlock()»: This method creates the first block in the blockchain, called the Genesis block. It sets the index to 0, timestamp to the current time, data to «Genesis Block» and the previousHash to «0».
«getLatestBlock()»: This method returns the last block in the blockchain.
«addBlock(newBlock)»: This method adds a new block to the blockchain. It sets the previousHash property of the new block to the hash of the current last block, and then calculates the new block’s hash using the «calculateHash()» method.
«isChainValid()»: This method checks if the blockchain is valid. It iterates through all the blocks in the blockchain, and compares the calculated hash of each block with the stored hash. If the calculated hash is different from the stored hash, or if the previousHash of a block does not match the hash of the previous block, the method returns false, indicating that the blockchain is not valid.

If you are really interested in implementing a blockchain with JavaScript just for the sake of learning how it really works i really recommend this series in Youtube that takes you through the process step by step.