Blockchain technology for next-generation society: current trends and future opportunities for smart era

Blockchain, a relatively novel technology, is often termed as the internet of value. Even though there are predictions that indicate that the future of blockchain is likely to be perilous, it has contributed remarkably and has already brought about revolutionary changes in terms of transactions and digital currencies. This paper is a survey and analysis of one of the fast-evolving technologies called Blockchain. It covers all essential information required for a beginner to venture into this complicated field while also covering necessary concepts that can be useful for experts; the first provides a general introduction and discusses the disruptive changes initiated by blockchain, the second discusses the unique value of blockchain and its general characteristics, the third presents an overview of industries with the greatest potential for disruptive changes, the fourth describes the four major blockchain applications with the highest prospective advantages, and the fifth part of the paper ends with a discussion on the most notable subset of innovative blockchain applications - Smart Contracts, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), and super safe networks - and their future implications. There is also a concluding section, which summarizes the chapter, describes the future of blockchain, and mentions the challenges to be overcome.