Create simple Blockchain using Python

Published On: 26 December 2022.By Anagh Kumar.

General

Create simple Blockchain using Python

Blockchain is a time-stamped decentralized series of fixed records that contains data of any size is controlled by a large network of computers that are scattered around the globe and not owned by a single organization. Every block is secured and connected with each other using hashing technology which protects it from being tampered by an unauthorized person.

Creating Blockchain using Python, mining new blocks, and displaying the whole blockchain:

The data will be stored in JSON format which is very easy to implement and easy to read. The data is stored in a block and the block contains multiple data. Each and every minute multiple blocks are added and to differentiate one from the other we will use fingerprinting.
The fingerprinting is done by using hash and to be particular we will use the SHA256 hashing algorithm. Every block will contain its own hash and also the hash of the previous function so that it cannot get tampered with.
This fingerprinting will be used to chain the blocks together. Every block will be attached to the previous block having its hash and to the next block by giving its hash.
The mining of the new block is done by giving successfully finding the answer to the proof of work. To make mining hard the proof of work must be hard enough to get exploited.
After mining the block successfully the block will then be added to the chain.
After mining several blocks the validity of the chain must be checked in order to prevent any kind of tampering with the blockchain.
Then the web app will be made by using Flask and deployed locally or publicly as per the need of the user.

# Python program to create Blockchain

# For timestamp
import datetime

# Calculating the hash
# in order to add digital
# fingerprints to the blocks
import hashlib

# To store data
# in our blockchain
import JSON

# Flask is for creating the web
# app and jsonify is for
# displaying the blockchain
from flask import Flask, jsonify


class Blockchain:

	# This function is created
	# to create the very first
	# block and set its hash to "0"
	def __init__(self):
		self.chain = []
		self.create_block(proof=1, previous_hash='0')

	# This function is created
	# to add further blocks
	# into the chain
	def create_block(self, proof, previous_hash):
		block = {'index': len(self.chain) + 1,
				'timestamp': str(datetime.datetime.now()),
				'proof': proof,
				'previous_hash': previous_hash}
		self.chain.append(block)
		return block

	# This function is created
	# to display the previous block
	def print_previous_block(self):
		return self.chain[-1]

	# This is the function for proof of work
	# and used to successfully mine the block
	def proof_of_work(self, previous_proof):
		new_proof = 1
		check_proof = False

		while check_proof is False:
			hash_operation = hashlib.sha256(
				str(new_proof**2 - previous_proof**2).encode()).hexdigest()
			if hash_operation[:5] == '00000':
				check_proof = True
			else:
				new_proof += 1

		return new_proof

	def hash(self, block):
		encoded_block = json.dumps(block, sort_keys=True).encode()
		return hashlib.sha256(encoded_block).hexdigest()

	def chain_valid(self, chain):
		previous_block = chain[0]
		block_index = 1

		while block_index < len(chain):
			block = chain[block_index]
			if block['previous_hash'] != self.hash(previous_block):
				return False

			previous_proof = previous_block['proof']
			proof = block['proof']
			hash_operation = hashlib.sha256(
				str(proof**2 - previous_proof**2).encode()).hexdigest()

			if hash_operation[:5] != '00000':
				return False
			previous_block = block
			block_index += 1

		return True


# Creating the Web
# App using flask
app = Flask(__name__)

# Create the object
# of the class blockchain
blockchain = Blockchain()

# Mining a new block


@app.route('/mine_block', methods=['GET'])
def mine_block():
	previous_block = blockchain.print_previous_block()
	previous_proof = previous_block['proof']
	proof = blockchain.proof_of_work(previous_proof)
	previous_hash = blockchain.hash(previous_block)
	block = blockchain.create_block(proof, previous_hash)

	response = {'message': 'A block is MINED',
				'index': block['index'],
				'timestamp': block['timestamp'],
				'proof': block['proof'],
				'previous_hash': block['previous_hash']}

	return jsonify(response), 200

# Display blockchain in json format


@app.route('/get_chain', methods=['GET'])
def display_chain():
	response = {'chain': blockchain.chain,
				'length': len(blockchain.chain)}
	return jsonify(response), 200

# Check validity of blockchain


@app.route('/valid', methods=['GET'])
def valid():
	valid = blockchain.chain_valid(blockchain.chain)

	if valid:
		response = {'message': 'The Blockchain is valid.'}
	else:
		response = {'message': 'The Blockchain is not valid.'}
	return jsonify(response), 200


# Run the flask server locally
app.run(host='127.0.0.1', port=5000)

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

# Python program to create Blockchain

# For timestamp

import datetime

# Calculating the hash

# in order to add digital

# fingerprints to the blocks

import hashlib

# To store data

# in our blockchain

import JSON

# Flask is for creating the web

# app and jsonify is for

# displaying the blockchain

from flask import Flask, jsonify

class Blockchain:

# This function is created

# to create the very first

# block and set its hash to "0"

def __init__(self):

self.chain = []

self.create_block(proof=1, previous_hash='0')

# This function is created

# to add further blocks

# into the chain

def create_block(self, proof, previous_hash):

block = {'index': len(self.chain) + 1,

'timestamp': str(datetime.datetime.now()),

'proof': proof,

'previous_hash': previous_hash}

self.chain.append(block)

return block

# This function is created

# to display the previous block

def print_previous_block(self):

return self.chain[-1]

# This is the function for proof of work

# and used to successfully mine the block

def proof_of_work(self, previous_proof):

new_proof = 1

check_proof = False

while check_proof is False:

hash_operation = hashlib.sha256(

str(new_proof**2 - previous_proof**2).encode()).hexdigest()

if hash_operation[:5] == '00000':

check_proof = True

else:

new_proof += 1

return new_proof

def hash(self, block):

encoded_block = json.dumps(block, sort_keys=True).encode()

return hashlib.sha256(encoded_block).hexdigest()

def chain_valid(self, chain):

previous_block = chain[0]

block_index = 1

while block_index < len(chain):

block = chain[block_index]

if block['previous_hash'] != self.hash(previous_block):

return False

previous_proof = previous_block['proof']

proof = block['proof']

hash_operation = hashlib.sha256(

str(proof**2 - previous_proof**2).encode()).hexdigest()

if hash_operation[:5] != '00000':

return False

previous_block = block

block_index += 1

return True

# Creating the Web

# App using flask

app = Flask(__name__)

# Create the object

# of the class blockchain

blockchain = Blockchain()

# Mining a new block

@app.route('/mine_block', methods=['GET'])

def mine_block():

previous_block = blockchain.print_previous_block()

previous_proof = previous_block['proof']

proof = blockchain.proof_of_work(previous_proof)

previous_hash = blockchain.hash(previous_block)

block = blockchain.create_block(proof, previous_hash)

response = {'message': 'A block is MINED',

'index': block['index'],

'timestamp': block['timestamp'],

'proof': block['proof'],

'previous_hash': block['previous_hash']}

return jsonify(response), 200

# Display blockchain in json format

@app.route('/get_chain', methods=['GET'])

def display_chain():

response = {'chain': blockchain.chain,

'length': len(blockchain.chain)}

return jsonify(response), 200

# Check validity of blockchain

@app.route('/valid', methods=['GET'])

def valid():

valid = blockchain.chain_valid(blockchain.chain)

if valid:

response = {'message': 'The Blockchain is valid.'}

else:

response = {'message': 'The Blockchain is not valid.'}

return jsonify(response), 200

# Run the flask server locally

app.run(host='127.0.0.1', port=5000)

Output (mine_block):

{
"index":2,
"message":"A block is MINED",
"previous_hash":"2d83a826f87415edb31b7e12b35949b9dbf702aee7e383cbab119456847b957c",
"proof":533,
"timestamp":"2020-06-01 22:47:59.309000"
}

{

"index":2,

"message":"A block is MINED",

"previous_hash":"2d83a826f87415edb31b7e12b35949b9dbf702aee7e383cbab119456847b957c",

"proof":533,

"timestamp":"2020-06-01 22:47:59.309000"

}

Output (get_chain):

{
"chain":[{"index":1,
"previous_hash":"0",
"proof":1,
"timestamp":"2020-06-01 22:47:05.915000"},{"index":2,
"previous_hash":"2d83a826f87415edb31b7e12b35949b9dbf702aee7e383cbab119456847b957c",
"proof":533,
"timestamp":"2020-06-01 22:47:59.309000"}],
"length":2
}