Blockchain: A Survey on Functions, Applications and Open Issues

The prosperity of Bitcoin has given rise to widespread attention and in-depth research on blockchains. The blockchain provides the fundamental technology for the decentralization, openness, security, independence, anonymity, integrity, and authenticity of diversified applications. The literature selected are mainly from IEEE papers and conference proceedings. This paper deeply analyzes the basic features and categories of blockchain and delineates the practical applications. The aim is to find the development prospects of blockchains through analysis of existing applications and technologies.