# Welcome!

As we delve into the sphere of blockchains and Web3, we stand on the precipice of a technological revolution that promises to reshape industries and redefine the digital landscape. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized and secure architecture, underpins this transformation by introducing transparency, trust, and efficiency across varied sectors. Web3, or the decentralized web, expands on these principles, aiming to return control and ownership of data to individuals, promoting a more open and equitable internet. Together, these innovations are driving unprecedented changes in finance, governance, supply chain, and beyond, heralding a new era where the possibilities for innovation seem boundless.

**The Challenge: Lack of Confidentiality**

Despite their promise, blockchains face a significant hurdle that hinders widespread adoption: the lack of confidentiality. In their current state, blockchains prioritize excessive transparency, often exposing sensitive data to public scrutiny. This inherent openness creates challenges for privacy-focused use cases, such as financial transactions, health records, or enterprise collaborations, where confidentiality is paramount.

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## This book

The purpose of this book is to provide readers with a comprehensive and cohesive understanding of the blockchain space through the lens of data confidentiality. It begins with an introductory chapter on blockchains, with a particular focus on the Ethereum blockchain and its virtual machine (EVM). Following this foundation, the book delves into the critical issue of data confidentiality, exploring various techniques to address it, with special emphasis on the groundbreaking gcEVM.

The journey continues with an in-depth examination of the gcEVM, covering its architecture, data flow, and practical guidance on developing applications (smart contracts) for it, including our own examples. Readers will also learn how to interact with these applications as end users. The book concludes with detailed benchmarks and comparisons, showcasing how the gcEVM stacks up against other potential solutions in the market.

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## Audience

We assume little to no prior knowledge of blockchains or privacy-enhancing technologies and strive to begin with foundational concepts, building from the ground up for maximum accessibility.\
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This book is tailored for a diverse audience interested in the intersection of blockchain technology and data confidentiality. **Blockchain architects** will find value in its in-depth exploration of the gcEVM's architecture and its innovative approach to safeguarding sensitive information.  **Information Security Officers** can leverage insights from the book to evaluate secure blockchain solutions for their organizations. **Cryptographers** will appreciate the technical rigor behind the confidentiality-preserving techniques discussed. Decentralized application (dApp) **developers** will benefit from practical guidance on building and deploying secure smart contracts within the gcEVM framework. Finally, **end-users** curious about transacting safely in the blockchain ecosystem will gain a clear understanding of how confidential blockchain applications work and why they matter in a transparent digital world.

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## Feedback and comments

We'd appreciate any feedback, correction and comment about the content in this book! Please send yours to this box: `support@sodalabs.xyz`
