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The introduction of online Bitcoin trading platforms has enabled Bitcoin to become mainstream in today´s economy, making headline news with soaring valuations, and proving that the underlying Blockchain protocol can bring "trust to a trustless world" across a broad spectrum of industries and business processes. How Bitcoin and Blockchain Are Changing the World explains Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, the advantages and disadvantages of virtual currencies, using virtual currency for making transactions, why its value has dramatically fluctuated, and why other virtual currencies will take Bitcoin´s place in the economic future. In addition, this book delves into the technical side of the Blockchain technology, including a discussion of the cryptographic technology protocol used for digital payments transmitted over the Internet.

Through illustrations and case studies, Marti Tirinnanzi discusses how and why different countries have adopted Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. This insightful book also examines money laundering and other legal and legislative issues attached to these virtual payments and discusses actions taken by government agencies to either supervise Bitcoin transactions, or use sovereign digital currencies to enhance efficiencies within federal and state treasuries. The book will help readers understand how Bitcoin and Blockchain are changing the approach to doing business in everything from financial services, healthcare, to the Internet of things (IoT).

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Section I: Bitcoin and Virtual Currencies

Chapter 1: The Big Picture for Bitcoin (history and current trends)

Chapter 2: How it Works - When and Where to Use Bitcoin?

Chapter 3: Legal Environment forBitCoinand Virtual Currency

Chapter 4: The Issues Surrounding Abuses of Cyber Currencies

Chapter 5: Role of Virtual Currency in the World Economy

Chapter 6: China´s Efforts to Regulate Cyber Currencies

Section 2: Blockchain

Chapter 7: The Big Picture for Blockchain (history and current trends)

Chapter 8: How it works - The Structure of Blockchain

Chapter 9: Authenticating Transactions on Block

Chapter 10: Blockchain Business Applications

Section 3: Special Issues

Chapter 11: Initial Coin Offerings "ICOs" as Alternative Venture Funding

Chapter 12: Global Financial Markets - Connection to Derivatives

Chapter 13: The Dark Side (Scams on Humanity)

Chapter 14: The Bright Side (End of Poverty)

Chapter 15: Insurance for Bitcoin and other Blockchain Supported Transactions

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Marti Tirinnanzi is President, Financial Standards, Inc., a financial services consulting company located in New York City. Ms. Tirinnanzi has 30 years´ experience in advising companies in the areas of risk management, hedging strategies using derivatives contracts, financial instrument accounting and regulatory compliance. In 2014, she began a project with the Institute for Financial Markets to develop a curriculum for executives in the study of financial technologies shaping global markets. She specifically focused on raising awareness and understanding of Bitcoin and Blockchain applications through courses offered by the Institute in New York, Chicago, Washington DC and London. Ms. Tirinnanzi earned her MS in business from The Johns Hopkins University, and BA in liberal arts from Notre Dame of Maryland University.

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