Online Courses
Blockchain Security
Online Courses
Blockchain Security
  • Blockchain Security
  • Fundamentals of Blockchain Security
    • Introduction to blockchain
    • The promises of blockchain
    • Inside the blockchain hype
    • Blockchain structures
    • What is public-key cryptography?
      • How does public-key cryptography work?
      • Public-key cryptography in the blockchain
    • Security assumptions of public-key cryptography
      • Quantum computing
    • Hash function in blockchain
      • Properties of hash functions
      • Hash functions in the blockchain
      • Blockchain security hash key functions
    • Quiz
  • Consensus Algorithm Security
    • Introduction
      • The Byzantine generals problem
      • Security via scarcity
      • Common blockchain consensus algorithms
      • The longest chain rule
    • Proof of work
      • Inside PoW mining
    • Attacking proof of work
      • The 51% attack
      • Denial of service: Artificial difficulty increases
    • Proof of stake
      • Choosing the block creator
    • Attacking PoS consensus
      • XX% attack and the PoS "timebomb"
      • Fake stake attacks
      • Long-range attack
      • Nothing at stake problem
      • Sour milk attack
    • Quiz
  • Blockchain in Action
    • Nodes and network
      • Inside the node
      • How blocks are created
    • Attacking block creation
      • Denial-of-service
      • Frontrunning
      • Selfish mining
      • SPV mining
    • Attacking blockchain nodes
      • Blockchain software misconfiguration
      • Denial of service
      • Malicious transactions
    • Attacking the blockchain network
      • Eclipse attack
      • Routing attack
      • Sybil attack
    • Quiz
  • Smart Contract Security
    • What are smart contracts?
      • Smart contracts
    • General programming vulnerabilities
      • Arithmetic vulnerabilities
      • Right-to-left control character
    • Blockchain vulnerabilities
    • Ethereum vulnerabilities
    • Quiz
  • Beyond the Basics
    • Alternative distributed ledger architectures
      • Introduction to DAGs
      • Introduction to block lattices
      • Introduction to sidechains
    • Second-level blockchain protocols
      • How a state channel works
    • Advanced cryptography in blockchain
      • Multisignatures
      • Zero-knowledge proofs
      • Stealth addresses
      • Ring signatures
      • Commitment schemes
    • Quiz
  • Cumulative Quiz
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  1. Fundamentals of Blockchain Security
  2. Hash function in blockchain

Hash functions in the blockchain

  1. Merkel Trees: Merkel trees carry the summary of a list of transactions stored within a block and a block header and hash functions ensure that no two Merkel trees are found with the same root hash. When the root hash is stored within a block, the integrity of the transactions in the block is protected when the integrity of the block header is protected.

  2. Digital Signatures: Digital signatures are one of the most vital use cases of hash functions that are used to protect the integrity of the block header and authentication of block transactions.

  3. Proof of Work (PoW) Consensus: The PoW or Proof of Work consensus mechanism considers a block valid when its header has a hash value less than the given threshold.

  4. Blockchain's Chains: It is crucial to note that each block of the blockchain network consists of a hash of the previous block header and also ensures that no block is changed without detection. Making changes in one block of the network requires the generation of every following block and hence preserves the integrity of the blockchain network.

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Last updated 9 months ago