Bitcoin, Blockchain, Smart Contracts, and Real Use Cases

Blockchain is one of the new disruptive technologies that is playing today. It is part of the fourth industrial revolution technologies. All started in 2009 with Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency created by Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin is a digital currency based on cryptography and is fully decentralized, that it can be use over the Internet. Bitcoin does not require a central entity, and it can be operated peer‐to‐peer without intermediaries.Blockchain is a set of technologies that makes Bitcoin success, and in addition of being use in cryptocurrencies, it can be used for business solutions in different organizations and industries. Blockchain has increase the interest of many companies, governments, and decision‐makers, mainly for the sense of revolution in the financial industry but also for the success stories in many different industries.A key component of blockchain are the smart contracts. A smart contract is a computer code that run on blockchain, and do not require a third party to verify and execute. The smart contracts are a key tool to build decentralized applications on blockchain.There are many innovative projects using blockchain and smart contracts that are disrupting business, and organizations for reduce costs, streamline processes, improve security and transparency. It is important to be prepared and be aware of the opportunities that blockchain‐based projects can benefit. With blockchain it changes the way we perceive the world, it has an impact on our lives, it is a social and economic change, and we must be prepared. We are in the early stages, and it is time to make a difference.In this manuscript, we will analyze the following aspects: Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, types of blockchain, benefits, recommendations, good practices, real use cases, risks, and opportunities.