Learning Centre

Blockchain Technology's Three Generations

May 25, 2021
3 min

Blockchain Technology's Three Generations

n the development of the internet, one can point to landmark events that can be used to divide the process into stages. Among these important landmarks are the creation of the first wide-area computer networks in the 1960s, the development of an electronic mail system in the 1970s, the creation of ethernet later in that decade, the launching of the world wide web in the 1990s and the creation of the first browsers and search engines later in that decade, among others. Followi

14 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

May 23, 2021
2 min

Consensus Mechanism (Cryptocurrency)

What Is a Consensus Mechanism? A consensus mechanism is a fault-tolerant mechanism that is used in computer and blockchain systems to achieve the necessary agreement on a single data value or a single state of the network among distributed processes or multi-agent systems, such as with cryptocurrencies. It is useful in record-keeping, among other things. Consensus Mechanism Explained In any centralized system, like a database holding key information about driving licenses in

27 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

May 20, 2021
3 min

Blockchain ETF

What Is a Blockchain ETF? A blockchain ETF is similar to standard sector- or theme-based stock investments through exchange traded funds (ETFs), working by exclusively investing in a basket of blockchain-based companies. The companies owned in a blockchain ETF have business operations in blockchain technology or are those that invest or profit from blockchain. Blockchain ETFs are exchange traded funds that invest in a basket of companies that use blockchain technology for ope

4 views0 comments

Which Industries Will Blockchain Disrupt Next?

AFRICA TO MARS

May 19, 2021
4 min

Which Industries Will Blockchain Disrupt Next?

While some mainstream financial institutions in the U.S. were initially reluctant to delve into the cryptocurrency market, they were much less reticent about exploring the possibilities inherent in blockchain technology. Blockchains allow for cryptocurrencies to function, but their functionality has applications beyond cryptocurrency. Even if digital currencies fade from interest, at this point, it is unlikely blockchain technology will face the same fate. A blockchain is a s

10 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

May 17, 2021
2 min

Decentralization

For the purpose of understanding blockchain, it is instructive to view it in the context of how it has been implemented by Bitcoin. Like a database, Bitcoin needs a collection of computers to store its blockchain. For Bitcoin, this blockchain is just a specific type of database that stores every Bitcoin transaction ever made. In Bitcoin’s case, and unlike most databases, these computers are not all under one roof, and each computer or group of computers is operated by a uniqu

34 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

May 14, 2021
2 min

What Is a Hash?

A hash is a mathematical function that converts an input of arbitrary length into an encrypted output of a fixed length. Thus regardless of the original amount of data or file size involved, its unique hash will always be the same size. Moreover, hashes cannot be used to "reverse-engineer" the input from the hashed output, since hash functions are "one-way" (like a meat grinder; you can't put the ground beef back into a steak). Still, if you use such a function on the same da

7 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 4, 2021
2 min

Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?

No one knows who invented bitcoin, or at least not conclusively. Satoshi Nakamoto is the name associated with the person or group of people who released the original bitcoin white paper in 2008 and worked on the original bitcoin software that was released in 2009. In the years since that time, many individuals have either claimed to be or have been suggested as the real-life people behind the pseudonym, but as of January 2021, the true identity (or identities) behind Satoshi

11 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 4, 2021
1 min

Peer-to-Peer Technology

Bitcoin is one of the first digital currencies to use peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments. The independent individuals and companies who own the governing computing power and participate in the bitcoin network—bitcoin "miners"—are in charge of processing the transactions on the blockchain and are motivated by rewards (the release of new bitcoin) and transaction fees paid in bitcoin. These miners can be thought of as the decentralized authority enforcing the

6 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
2 min

What Moves Cryptocurrency Markets

Cryptocurrency trading requires you to make educated guesses as to market movements in the future. While no one can predict these movements with 100% accuracy, there are still some techniques used by professionals to mitigate risks while trading. The first thing you need to understand is what actually effects market movements in the sector. Unlike stocks, cryptocurrencies are uncoupled from many of the economic and political concerns that affect traditional markets. In most i

7 views0 comments

Are There Any Problems with Cryptocurrency?

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
2 min

Are There Any Problems with Cryptocurrency?

False Decentralization The issue of decentralization has been argued as a “false decentralization.” A large enough group of people verifying blockchain transactions does form a quasi-centralized entity. Those people are the miners, who validate the blocks in the public ledger and assign the blocks their unique codes, or hashes. This argument is directly related to the 51% majority issue that plagues newer cryptocurrencies but becomes less of a problem over time. Inefficiencie

21 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

What Determines the Price of 1 Bitcoin?

Unlike investing in traditional currencies, bitcoin is not issued by a central bank or backed by a government. And buying a bitcoin is different than purchasing a stock or bond because bitcoin is not a corporation. Consequently, there are no corporate balance sheets or Form 10-Ks to review. Understanding What Determines Bitcoin's Price Unlike investing in traditional currencies, bitcoin is not issued by a central bank or backed by a government; therefore, the monetary policy,

5 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Definition

In its most simple form, decentralized finance is a concept where financial products are available on a public decentralized blockchain network making them open to anyone to use rather than going through a middleman like banks or brokerages. Unlike a bank or brokerage account, a government-issued ID, social security number, or proof of address are not necessary to use DeFi. More specifically, DeFi refers to a system where software written on blockchains makes it possible for

0 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
2 min

Bitcoin vs. Blockchain

The goal of blockchain is to allow digital information to be recorded and distributed, but not edited. Blockchain technology was first outlined in 1991 by Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta, two researchers who wanted to implement a system where document timestamps could not be tampered with. But it wasn’t until almost two decades later, with the launch of Bitcoin in January 2009, that blockchain had its first real-world application. The Bitcoin protocol is built on a blockc

0 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

History of Bitcoin

Aug. 18, 2008 The domain name bitcoin.org is registered. Today, at least, this domain is "WhoisGuard Protected," meaning the identity of the person who registered it is not public information. Oct. 31, 2008 A person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto makes an announcement on the Cryptography Mailing list at metzdowd.com: "I've been working on a new electronic cash system that's fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party. This now-famous whitepaper published on bitc

1 view0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

How is Blockchain Used?

As we now know, blocks on Bitcoin’s blockchain store data about monetary transactions. But it turns out that blockchain is actually a reliable way of storing data about other types of transactions, as well. Some companies that have already incorporated blockchain include Walmart, Pfizer, AIG, Siemens, Unilever, and a host of others. For example, IBM has created its Food Trust blockchain1 to trace the journey that food products take to get to its locations. Why do this? The f

3 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

What Is Decentralized Currency?

Decentralized currency, peer-to-peer money, and digital currency all refer to bank-free methods of transferring wealth or ownership of any other commodity without needing a third party. Most centralized, and some decentralized, markets use fiat currency—or physical money issued by a central bank, like U.S. dollars. Decentralized currency is used primarily in the virtual markets. Two examples of decentralized currency are bitcoin—the "coinage" used on the Bitcoin platform—and

0 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
4 min

Non-Fungible Token (NFT)

What Is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)? Non-fungible tokens or NFTs are cryptographic assets on blockchain with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from each other. Unlike cryptocurrencies, they cannot be traded or exchanged at equivalency. This differs from fungible tokens like cryptocurrencies, which are identical to each other and, therefore, can be used as a medium for commercial transactions. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NFTs are unique cryptographic toke

40 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
2 min

What Do I Need To Mine Bitcoins?

Although early on in Bitcoin's history individuals may have been able to compete for blocks with a regular at-home computer, this is no longer the case. The reason for this is that the difficulty of mining Bitcoin changes over time. In order to ensure the smooth functioning of the blockchain and its ability to process and verify transactions, the Bitcoin network aims to have one block produced every 10 minutes or so. However, if there are one million mining rigs competing to

1 view0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

What's Next for Blockchain?

First proposed as a research project in 1991, blockchain is comfortably settling into its late twenties. Like most millennials its age, blockchain has seen its fair share of public scrutiny over the last two decades, with businesses around the world speculating about what the technology is capable of and where it’s headed in the years to come. With many practical applications for the technology already being implemented and explored, blockchain is finally making a name for i

9 views0 comments

AFRICA TO MARS

Apr 3, 2021
1 min

Decentralized Market

What Is a Decentralized Market? In a decentralized market, technology enables investors to deal directly with each other instead of operating from within a centralized exchange. Virtual markets that use decentralized currency, or cryptocurrencies, are examples of decentralized markets. How Do Decentralized Markets Work? A decentralized market uses various digital devices to communicate and display bid/ask prices in real-time. In this way, buyers, sellers, and dealers do not n

6 views0 comments

Learning Centre

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world" - Nelson Mandela

In any nation or continent that is actively growing and expanding, education is found to be a key element of this growth. When we look at Africa and its youth population, it becomes obvious that education cannot be sidelined.

At AFRICA TO MARS we are committed to empowering Africa by providing content in our learning centre that is informative, beneficial and trustworthy.

Our learning centre aims at assisting the crypto community in Africa with content that can improve the communities knowledge and understanding of crypto and the blockchain world.