Samenvatting

Thinking in terms of blockchain technology has developed rapidly over the past decade, with the focus primarily being on all the new possibilities created by this essentially technology-driven development. At its core, blockchain technology consists of a combination of reliable communication mechanisms between systems and the performance of joint decision-making processes by these systems. Consensus algorithms enable combinations of hardware, algorithms, and software (i.e., cyber-physical systems) to operate in networks and engage in secure intercommunication and interaction in these networks. Thanks to intercommunication, cyber-physical systems are able to reach consensus on decisions on information transactions to perform. This, in turn, empowers interconnected systems to increase their level of autonomy and adapt their individual and joint operations to changes that emerge from within them or from their environment.