It's a real challenge to write an introduction to blockchain technology. I recently gave a brief presentation at a local community meeting, showing a 4 minute video and providing this 2 page handout.
My goals were to explain what a blockchain is, why it is secure, and why it is the invention that underlies all digital currencies, including Bitcoin, the very first blockchain to exist. I also wanted to convey why I am so passionate about it and how I contribute to the technology and its' adoption.
The most difficult aspect of creating that presentation or an article like this one is determining what information to include and what to leave out. In my handout I included a comparison between Bitcoin and Graphene based blockchains like Steemit and BitShares.
I was limited to 20 minutes, which included the 4 minute video. Those who already had some rudimentary knowledge of Bitcoin said I clarified some info and also gave them a bigger picture of what "Bitcoin" is all about.
This post by @krnel goes into more depth describing a blockchain than my presentation did, and my handout went deeper than my presentation. The Steemit audience is far more tech savvy than the good folks I presented to, and so I needed to simplify and shorten my presentation to reach them. That is yet another aspect that makes an intro to blockchain article harder to write.