Explain Blockchain to me like I'm 5.

Blockchain is a buzzword, everyone knows the technology has been here for a while, and we all know how it feels to hear about a new technology making waves and impact and we constantly have fear of missing out(FOMO). Blockchain technology has it's own uniqueness, complexity and it's sometimes confusing for the non-technical fellows.

I have been in the space for close to three years and I'll try to explain to you what blockchain is like you are 5. This article is the first article of a challenge/series that I am working on Twitter, #100daysofBlockchain, #100daysofSolidity. You can follow me on Twitter to follow the challenge. Twitter

So what the hell is blockchain technology, is it cryptocurrency, is it Bitcoin?. Most times, people wonder what Blockchain technology is all about and how hard it is to grasp the concept, so I'm going to try and explain it to you like you are 5, in simpler terms. Note this is an explanation of what the Blockchain technology is and not the application of the technology. e.g Cryptocurrency. So it's also important to note that Blockchain is not Cryptocurrency.

Blockchain is simply a peer to peer network of nodes, that talks to one another. These nodes are actually computers that have a similar responsibility to a web server. Peer to peer means that they are connected together. So essentially a Blockchain is a chain(Peer to Peer) network of nodes(Computers that has similar responsibility with a web server). These nodes can be able to run programs, store data and you can access these data.

So imagine in a park where kids are holding their hands to form a circle and play the ring-a-rose game. Every kid in that circle represents a node, and the connection between two kids in the circle is called a peer to peer network. If any new kid wants to join the circle, he can join the previous kid by holding their hands together and then form a new peer to peer connection. The whole connection of the children in the circle can be called a Blockchain of kids, lol. Well, this is a simple illustration of what a Blockchain is. It is simply a connection of nodes that forms a chain. Every new node joins the previous node to create a new peer to peer connection. The entire connection is called a Blockchain.

Blockchain kids.jpg

You can also think of Blockchain this way.

A network of smaller computers called nodes makes up a Giant computer called the Blockchain.
In this network, anyone can connect to it. You can connect to it when you send money, run any program, etc.
A very big database that can store information.

The Blockchain nodes although has a similar function to a web server, do not actually work like it. Here is why. Data storage in a webserver is stored in a central place or a central computer, while data in the blockchain is stored across the network of nodes. This means that each node has a copy of the data that is added to the chain of network. This is called decentralization.

What makes the Blockchain so special is the fact that all of the nodes in the network combine their power to make sure that the Data they carry remains unchanged and very secure. so the longer the chain of nodes that is added as a result of a transaction with the data, the more powerful the Blockchain is. This transaction can be a payment made or an exchange of data done on the Blockchain.

One of the most popular applications of the Blockchain is in cryptocurrency, The transactions made with cryptocurrencies are stored as data in the Blockchain, so for every new transaction added to the network, a node is added and each previous node in the network will have a copy of that data stored in the Blockchain. Before any transaction is added to the network, the network verifies if the transaction is Valid. This is what makes the Blockchain so secure. Blockchain can also be applied to other things apart from cryptocurrency and transactions.

You can check up the links below to read more about Blockchain and its Application. (inc.com/ari-zoldan/how-i-explained-blockcha..) (medium.com/the-mission/a-simple-explanation..) (blockgeeks.com/guides/what-is-blockchain-te..)