The latest articles on DEV Community by Anjana Kavishan (@anjana_57816). https://dev.to/anjana_57816 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4144597%2F1a7b5279-7e82-4d28-a061-49cd7c51c9c9.jpeg https://dev.to/anjana_57816 en Anjana Kavishan Sat, 26 Sep 2026 16:52:54 +0000 https://dev.to/anjana_57816/day-1-blockchain-development-2c35 https://dev.to/anjana_57816/day-1-blockchain-development-2c35 <h1> My Blockchain Development Journey — Day 1 </h1> <p>I just started learning blockchain development from absolute zero.</p> <p>Today, I learned about:</p> <ul> <li>What is a blockchain?</li> <li>Why blockchains don't simply replace banks</li> <li>The difference between centralized and decentralized systems</li> <li>What are nodes?</li> </ul> <h2> What is a blockchain? </h2> <p>As I learned today, a blockchain is a technology used to record and manage transactions across a network of computers.</p> <p>Instead of relying on one central organization to maintain the records, blockchain networks can distribute the records and the responsibility for maintaining them across multiple computers.</p> <p>I'm still learning the deeper technical side of how this works, but this is my basic understanding for now.</p> <h2> Blockchains don't replace banks </h2> <p>At first, I thought blockchain was basically a replacement for the banking system.</p> <p>But I learned that this isn't exactly true.</p> <p>Blockchain is a technology for recording and managing data and transactions. A bank, on the other hand, provides many different services such as loans, cheques, accounts, payments, and other financial services.</p> <p>So blockchain and a bank are not the same thing.</p> <p>Blockchain can be used to build financial systems and applications, but it doesn't automatically replace everything a bank does.</p> <h2> Centralized vs Decentralized Systems </h2> <p>A traditional bank uses a centralized system where the bank controls and manages its databases and customer information.</p> <p>Customers normally have access to their own account information, while the bank has access to the information it is responsible for managing.</p> <p>Blockchain networks can work differently.</p> <p>In a public blockchain, transaction information can generally be viewed by anyone. The data is maintained across a distributed network of computers rather than being controlled by one central organization.</p> <p>However, this doesn't mean that every blockchain is public or that everyone can see everything.</p> <p>Private and permissioned blockchain networks can restrict who can access the data.</p> <h2> What are nodes? </h2> <p>A node is a computer that participates in a blockchain network.</p> <p>Depending on the type of node and the blockchain, a node can store blockchain data, verify transactions, communicate with other nodes, and help maintain the network.</p> <p>I initially thought that every node simply contains a complete copy of every transaction, but I'm learning that different types of nodes can have different roles.</p> beginners blockchain crypto learning