Blockchain: Theory and applications in public and private sectors

The first and most emblematic application of blockchain technology is the cryptocurrency called bitcoin. Bitcoin has a market value of more than one trillion dollars and is accepted as a currency in many businesses. However, blockchain nowadays has many different applications outside the financial market. This article aims to describe the main components of blockchain to provide readers with the technical elements for entering the field of distributed technologies and understanding their possible applications. We highlight a wide range of industries and sectors where companies and governments are using this technology to improve their processes and results.