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Here is the basic blueprint of the Python class we’ll use for creating the blockchain: 1 class Block(object): 2 ​ 3 def __init__(): 4 ​ 5 pass 6 ​ 7 #initial structure of the block class 8 ​ 9 def compute_hash(): 10 ​ 11 pass 12 ​ 13 #producing the cryptographic hash of each block 14 ​ 15 class BlockChain(object): 16 ​ 17 def __init__(self): 18 ​ 19 #building the chain 20 ​ 21 def build_genesis(self): 22 ​ 23 pass 24 ​ 25 #creating the initial block 26 ​ 27 def build_block(self, proof_number, previous_hash): 28 ​ 29 pass 30 ​ 31 #builds new block and adds to the chain 32 ​ 33 @staticmethod 34 ​ 35 def confirm_validity(block, previous_block): 36 ​ 37 pass 38 ​ 39 #checks whether the blockchain is valid 40 ​ 41 def get_data(self, sender, receiver, amount): 42 ​ 43 pass 44 ​ 45 # declares data of transactions 46 ​ 47 @staticmethod 48 ​ 49 def proof_of_work(last_proof): 50 ​ 51 pass 52 ​ 53 #adds to the security of the blockchain 54 ​ 55 @property 56 ​ 57 def latest_block(self): 58 ​ 59 pass 60 ​ 61 #returns the last block in the chain Now, let’s explain how the blockchain class works. Initial Structure of the Block Class Here is the code for our initial block class: 1 import hashlib 2 ​ 3 import time 4 ​ 5 class Block(object): 6 ​ 7 def __init__(self, index, proof_number, previous_hash, data, timestamp=None): 8 ​ 9 self.index = index 10 ​ 11 self.proof_number = proof_number 12 ​ 13 self.previous_hash = previous_hash 14 ​ 15 self.data = data 16 ​ 17 self.timestamp = timestamp or time.time() 18 ​ 19 @property 20 ​ 21 def compute_hash(self): 22 ​ 23 string_block = "{}{}{}{}{}".format(self.index, self.proof_number, self.previous_hash, self.data, self.timestamp) 24 ​ 25 return hashlib.sha256(string_block.encode()).hexdigest() As you can see above, the class constructor or initiation method ( __init__()) above takes the following parameters: self — just like any other Python class, this parameter is used to refer to the class itself. Any variable associated with the class can be accessed using it. index — it’s used to track the position of a block within the blockchain. previous_hash — it used to reference the hash of the previous block within the blockchain. data—it gives details of the transactions done, for example, the amount bought. timestamp—it inserts a timestamp for all the transactions performed. The second method in the class, compute_hash , is used to produce the cryptographic hash of each block based on the above values. As you can see, we imported the SHA-256 algorithm into the cryptocurrency blockchain project to help in getting the hashes of the blocks. Once the values have been placed inside the hashing module, the algorithm will return a 256-bit string denoting the contents of the block. So, this is what gives the blockchain immutability. Since each block will be represented by a hash, which will be computed from the hash of the previous block, corrupting any block in the chain will make the other blocks have invalid hashes, resulting in breakage of the whole blockchain network. Building the Chain The whole concept of a blockchain is based on the fact that the blocks are “chained” to each other. Now, we’ll create a blockchain class that will play the critical role of managing the entire chain. It will keep the transactions data and include other helper methods for completing various roles, such as adding new blocks. Let’s talk about the helper methods. Adding the Constructor Method Here is the code: 1 class BlockChain(object): 2 ​ 3 def __init__(self): 4 ​ 5 self.chain = [] 6 ​ 7 self.current_data = [] 8 ​ 9 self.nodes = set() 10 ​ 11 self.build_genesis() The __init__() constructor method is what instantiates the blockchain. Here are the roles of its attributes: self.chain — this variable stores all the blocks. self.current_data — this variable stores information about the transactions in the block. self.build_genesis() — this method is used to create the initial block in the chain. Building the Genesis Block The build_genesis() method is used for creating the initial block in the chain, that is, a block without any predecessors. The genesis block is what represents the beginning of the blockchain. To create it, we’ll call the build_block() method and give it some default values. The parameters proof_number and previous_hash are both given a value of zero, though you can give them any value you desire. Here is the code: 1 def build_genesis(self): 2 ​ 3 self.build_block(proof_number=0, previous_hash=0) 4 ​ 5 def build_block(self, proof_number, previous_hash): 6 ​ 7 block = Block( 8 ​ 9 index=len(self.chain), 10 ​ 11 proof_number=proof_number, 12 ​ 13 previous_hash=previous_hash, 14 ​ 15 data=self.current_data 16 ​ 17 ) 18 ​ 19 self.current_data = [] 20 ​ 21 self.chain.append(block) 22 ​ 23 return block Confirming Validity of the Blockchain The confirm_validity method is critical in examining the integrity of the blockchain and making sure inconsistencies are lacking. As explained earlier, hashes are pivotal for realizing the security of the cryptocurrency blockchain, because any slight alteration in an object will result in the creation of an entirely different hash. Thus, the confirm_validity method utilizes a series of if statements to assess whether the hash of each block has been compromised. Furthermore, it also compares the hash values of every two successive blocks to identify any anomalies. If the chain is working properly, it returns true; otherwise, it returns false. Here is the code: 1 def confirm_validity(block, previous_block): 2 ​ 3 if previous_block.index + 1 != block.index: 4 ​ 5 return False 6 ​ 7 elif previous_block.compute_hash != block.previous_hash: 8 ​ 9 return False 10 ​ 11 elif block.timestamp <= previous_block.timestamp: 12 ​ 13 return False 14 ​ 15 return True Declaring Data of Transactions The get_data method is important in declaring the data of transactions on a block. This method takes three parameters (sender’s information, receiver’s information, and amount) and adds the transaction data to the self.current_data list. Here is the code: 1 def get_data(self, sender, receiver, amount): 2 ​ 3 self.current_data.append({ 4 ​ 5 'sender': sender, 6 ​ 7 'receiver': receiver, 8 ​ 9 'amount': amount 10 ​ 11 }) 12 ​ 13 return True Effecting the Proof of Work In blockchain technology, Proof of Work (PoW) refers to the complexity involved in mining or generating new blocks on the blockchain. For example, the PoW can be implemented by identifying a number that solves a problem whenever a user completes some computing work. Anyone on the blockchain network should find the number complex to identify but easy to verify — this is the main concept of PoW. This way, it discourages spamming and compromising the integrity of the network. In this article, we’ll illustrate how to include a Proof of Work algorithm in a blockchain cryptocurrency project. Finalizing With the Last Block Finally, the latest_block() helper method is used for retrieving the last block on the network, which is actually the current block. Here is the code: 1 def latest_block(self): 2 ​ 3 return self.chain[-1] Implementing Blockchain Mining Now, this is the most exciting section! Initially, the transactions are kept in a list of unverified transactions. Mining refers to the process of placing the unverified transactions in a block and solving the PoW problem. It can be referred to as the computing work involved in verifying the transactions. If everything has been figured out correctly, a block is created or mined and joined together with the others in the blockchain. If users have successfully mined a block, they are often rewarded for using their computing resources to solve the PoW problem. Here is the mining method in this simple cryptocurrency blockchain project: 1 def block_mining(self, details_miner): 2 ​ 3 self.get_data( 4 ​ 5 sender="0", #it implies that this node has created a new block 6 ​ 7 receiver=details_miner, 8 ​ 9 quantity=1, #creating a new block (or identifying the proof number) is awarded with 1 10 ​ 11 ) 12 ​ 13 last_block = self.latest_block 14 ​ 15 last_proof_number = last_block.proof_number 16 ​ 17 proof_number = self.proof_of_work(last_proof_number) 18 ​ 19 ​ 20 ​ 21 last_hash = last_block.compute_hash 22 ​ 23 block = self.build_block(proof_number, last_hash) 24 ​ 25 ​ 26 ​ 27 return vars(block) 28 ​ 29 ​ Summary Here is the whole code for our crypto blockchain class in Python: 1 import hashlib 2 ​ 3 import time 4 ​ 5 class Block(object): 6 ​ 7 def __init__(self, index, proof_number, previous_hash, data, timestamp=None): 8 ​ 9 self.index = index 10 ​ 11 self.proof_number = proof_number 12 ​ 13 self.previous_hash = previous_hash 14 ​ 15 self.data = data 16 ​ 17 self.timestamp = timestamp or time.time() 18 ​ 19 @property 20 ​ 21 def compute_hash(self): 22 ​ 23 string_block = "{}{}{}{}{}".format(self.index, self.proof_number, self.previous_hash, self.data, self.timestamp) 24 ​ 25 return hashlib.sha256(string_block.encode()).hexdigest() 26 ​ 27 def __repr__(self): 28 ​ 29 return "{} - {} - {} - {} - {}".format(self.index, self.proof_number, self.previous_hash, self.data, self.timestamp) 30 ​ 31 class BlockChain(object): 32 ​ 33 def __init__(self): 34 ​ 35 self.chain = [] 36 ​ 37 self.current_data = [] 38 ​ 39 self.nodes = set() 40 ​ 41 self.build_genesis() 42 ​ 43 def build_genesis(self): 44 ​ 45 self.build_block(proof_number=0, previous_hash=0) 46 ​ 47 def build_block(self, proof_number, previous_hash): 48 ​ 49 block = Block( 50 ​ 51 index=len(self.chain), 52 ​ 53 proof_number=proof_number, 54 ​ 55 previous_hash=previous_hash, 56 ​ 57 data=self.current_data 58 ​ 59 ) 60 ​ 61 self.current_data = [] 62 ​ 63 self.chain.append(block) 64 ​ 65 return block 66 ​ 67 @staticmethod 68 ​ 69 def confirm_validity(block, previous_block): 70 ​ 71 if previous_block.index + 1 != block.index: 72 ​ 73 return False 74 ​ 75 elif previous_block.compute_hash != block.previous_hash: 76 ​ 77 return False 78 ​ 79 elif block.timestamp <= previous_block.timestamp: 80 ​ 81 return False 82 ​ 83 return True 84 ​ 85 def get_data(self, sender, receiver, amount): 86 ​ 87 self.current_data.append({ 88 ​ 89 'sender': sender, 90 ​ 91 'receiver': receiver, 92 ​ 93 'amount': amount 94 ​ 95 }) 96 ​ 97 return True 98 ​ 99 @staticmethod 100 ​ 101 def proof_of_work(last_proof): 102 ​ 103 pass 104 ​ 105 @property 106 ​ 107 def latest_block(self): 108 ​ 109 return self.chain[-1] 110 ​ 111 def chain_validity(self): 112 ​ 113 pass 114 ​ 115 def block_mining(self, details_miner): 116 ​ 117 self.get_data( 118 ​ 119 sender="0", #it implies that this node has created a new block 120 ​ 121 receiver=details_miner, 122 ​ 123 quantity=1, #creating a new block (or identifying the proof number) is awared with 1 124 ​ 125 ) 126 ​ 127 last_block = self.latest_block 128 ​ 129 last_proof_number = last_block.proof_number 130 ​ 131 proof_number = self.proof_of_work(last_proof_number) 132 ​ 133 last_hash = last_block.compute_hash 134 ​ 135 block = self.build_block(proof_number, last_hash) 136 ​ 137 return vars(block) 138 ​ 139 def create_node(self, address): 140 ​ 141 self.nodes.add(address) 142 ​ 143 return True 144 ​ 145 @staticmethod 146 ​ 147 def get_block_object(block_data): 148 ​ 149 return Block( 150 ​ 151 block_data['index'], 152 ​ 153 block_data['proof_number'], 154 ​ 155 block_data['previous_hash'], 156 ​ 157 block_data['data'], 158 ​ 159 timestamp=block_data['timestamp'] 160 ​ 161 ) 162 ​ 163 blockchain = BlockChain() 164 ​ 165 print("GET READY MINING ABOUT TO START") 166 ​ 167 print(blockchain.chain) 168 ​ 169 last_block = blockchain.latest_block 170 ​ 171 last_proof_number = last_block.proof_number 172 ​ 173 proof_number = blockchain.proof_of_work(last_proof_number) 174 ​ 175 blockchain.get_data( 176 ​ 177 sender="0", #this means that this node has constructed another block 178 ​ 179 receiver="LiveEdu.tv", 180 ​ 181 amount=1, #building a new block (or figuring out the proof number) is awarded with 1 182 ​ 183 ) 184 ​ 185 last_hash = last_block.compute_hash 186 ​ 187 block = blockchain.build_block(proof_number, last_hash) 188 ​ 189 print("WOW, MINING HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL!") 190 ​ 191 print(blockchain.chain) Now, let’s try to run our code to see if we can generate some digital coins...