This chapter covers
I intended chapter 1 to give you a high-level overview of decentralized applications without overwhelming you with too many details. Consequently, I’m sure you’re still wondering what technical stack you need to learn to build a full Dapp. Also, you might feel the architectural presentation on Dapps didn’t go as far as you’d have liked, and you might still have doubts about how a blockchain exactly works. If you’re asking yourself these questions, I’ll address them in this chapter.
I’ll start by revisiting the voting Dapp I introduced in the previous chapter, and I’ll cover some aspects of an Ethereum node I skipped earlier for simplicity. I’ll then cover the entire technology stack required to implement a full end-to-end decentralized application. Additionally, I’ll introduce the cryptographic concepts and foundations you need to acquire to appreciate how a blockchain works. Before closing the chapter, I’ll present technologies specific to the Ethereum blockchain and give you some information on Ethereum’s history and governance.