NIST Released a Straightforward Introduction to Blockchain

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a straightforward introduction to blockchain, which underpins Bitcoin and other digital currencies.  The NIST document, whose full title is Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 8202: Blockchain Technology Overview (link is external), introduces the concept of blockchain, discusses its use in electronic currency, and shows its broader applications.  The roughly 60-page report might enlighten anyone who wants a picture of blockchain that is not skewed to any players’ interests and will help to give perspective to technical decision makers in particular.