The Alankrit Srivastava Blog

Tag: decentralization

  • Day 15 — What Actually Makes an App a dApp?

    Watercolor illustration of a user interface connecting a wallet to decentralized smart contracts

    What a decentralized application is

    A decentralized application, or dApp, is an app that uses blockchain-based rules instead of relying only on one company’s server.

    The screen may look like a normal website. However, the important actions connect to smart contracts.

    That is what makes a decentralized application different from a regular web app.

    The frontend still matters

    Most dApps still have a frontend. This is the page users see in the browser.

    The frontend helps users read information, choose actions, and connect a wallet.

    So, a decentralized application is not only smart contracts. It also needs a usable interface.

    The wallet replaces the login

    In many dApps, the wallet acts like the user account.

    The wallet signs messages and transactions. Then the blockchain can verify that the action came from the right user.

    This gives users more control, but it also creates more responsibility.

    Smart contracts hold the rules

    A smart contract is code that runs on a blockchain.

    For a decentralized application, smart contracts may manage tokens, lending, voting, swaps, or game items.

    Because the rules are public, users can inspect them. Still, public code can contain bugs.

    The takeaway

    A decentralized application combines a frontend, wallets, smart contracts, and on-chain state.

    It can be powerful because users interact with open rules. However, they must also understand fees, signatures, and contract risk.

  • Day 7 — If a Few People Control Mining, Is Bitcoin Still Decentralized?

    What decentralization really means

    Bitcoin decentralization is not controlled by one single group. Miners matter, but they are not the whole story.

    Bitcoin also depends on nodes, users, developers, wallets, exchanges, and businesses. Each group plays a different role.

    So the better question is not whether Bitcoin is decentralized. The better question is which part of Bitcoin we are discussing.

    Miners have power, but not all power

    Miners create candidate blocks. They choose which valid transactions to include. They also compete for rewards.

    However, miners cannot simply change Bitcoin’s rules by themselves. If they create invalid blocks, nodes can reject them.

    This creates an important balance. Miners provide security, but nodes enforce validity.

    Why mining pools raise concerns

    Mining is expensive. Because of that, many miners join pools to make rewards more predictable.

    That can create visible concentration. A few pools may appear to control a large share of the hash rate.

    Still, a pool is not the same as one miner. Individual miners can leave a pool if it behaves badly.

    What a 51 percent attack means

    If one group controls most mining power, it could try to reorder recent transactions. It might also attempt double spending.

    However, it could not create coins from nothing. It also could not steal coins without valid signatures.

    Therefore, the risk is serious, but it has limits.

    The takeaway

    Bitcoin decentralization is a moving balance. Mining power, node rules, user choice, and economic incentives all matter.

    That is why decentralization is not a simple label. It is a system that must keep resisting control over time.

  • Day 3 — Who Verifies Bitcoin Transactions If There Is No Bank?

    Bitcoin transactions are verified by rules, not by a bank desk. A wallet creates a payment. The network checks whether that payment is valid. Then miners can place it in a block.

    This process may sound technical, but the idea is simple. Every node can check the same facts. That is how Bitcoin keeps trust public.

    Who checks the payment

    Nodes check Bitcoin transactions first. They ask simple questions. Is the signature valid? Do the coins exist? Were those coins already spent? Does the transaction follow the rules?

    If the answer is no, the node rejects the payment. If the answer is yes, the transaction can move forward.

    What miners do

    Miners collect valid Bitcoin transactions and build blocks. They do not get to invent coins or ignore the rules. Other nodes still check their work.

    So, miners organize the payments. Nodes verify the rules. Together, they help the system work without a bank in the middle.

    What to read next

    Next, read proof of work explained. For background, see Bitcoin.org’s guide.