What is Blockchain? – Secure MetaWork

Sample Lesson 1 – What is Blockchain?

What You Will Learn

The core concepts of blockchain: decentralization, transparency, and immutability
How blockchain enables trustless systems without intermediaries
The role of blockchain in financial inclusion for the unbanked

What You Will Build

A conceptual model of how blockchain transactions are recorded and verified

How This Helps You Make Money

Understanding blockchain is the first step to accessing global earning, creating, and investing opportunities on platforms like MetaWork. You’ll learn how secure, transparent systems empower workers, creators, and investors worldwide.

Real-World Applications:

Success Story: Maria from Colombia uses blockchain to receive remittances from her son working abroad. Previously, she lost up to 15% in transfer fees; now, using MetaWork’s blockchain system, she receives the full amount within minutes instead of days.

“Before blockchain, I would lose almost a day’s wages just to receive money from my son,” Maria explains. “Now the transfer is instant, and I receive everything he sends. This technology has changed how our family manages finances across borders.”

Think About Your Context:

What financial services in your community have high fees that blockchain could reduce?
How could faster, more secure transactions benefit local businesses you know?
Who in your community might benefit most from blockchain-based financial services?

Community Application:
Identify one financial challenge in your community (high remittance fees, lack of banking access, currency instability) and write a paragraph explaining how blockchain technology could address it.

Blockchain Fundamentals

Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that records transactions across many computers in a way that makes them tamper-proof. Unlike traditional systems that rely on banks or servers, blockchain operates on a peer-to-peer network.

Key Features:

Decentralization: No single entity controls the network
Transparency: All transactions are visible and verifiable
Immutability: Once recorded, data cannot be altered

MetaWork uses blockchain to connect workers, creators, and investors globally. For example, a worker in the Philippines can earn crypto by completing surveys, knowing their payments are secure and transparent.

Blockchain also enables financial inclusion. With over 1.7 billion unbanked adults worldwide (World Bank 2023), blockchain provides an alternative to traditional banking, allowing anyone with internet access to participate in the economy.

Activity 1.1: Distributed Ledger Simulation

In groups of 5, you will simulate how a blockchain works:
1. Each person represents a “node” in the network
2. Three sample transactions will be given to the group
3. Each node must verify the transaction independently
4. Only when the majority agrees is the transaction recorded
5. Discuss how this system prevents fraud compared to centralized systems

Sample Transactions

These transactions are designed to test the group’s verification process, with Transaction 3 acting as a potential invalid or fraudulent transaction that requires consensus to reject.

Transaction Number	Transaction Description
Transaction 1	User A sends 5 MetaTokens to User B. (User A’s ledger shows a balance of 10 MetaTokens.)
Transaction 2	User C sends 8 MetaTokens to User D. (User C’s ledger shows a balance of 20 MetaTokens.)
Transaction 3	User E sends 15 MetaTokens to User F. (User E’s ledger actually shows a balance of 10 MetaTokens, attempting a double-spend or insufficient funds.)

How to Use the Transactions (Instructions)

The group’s task is to discuss and verify the validity of each transaction before recording the final consensus on the worksheet.

Record the Transaction: Write the description for Transaction 1 in the first blank on the worksheet.
Individual Verification: Each group member reviews the transaction. In a real simulation, they would check the ledger (or the provided balance information in parentheses) to see if the sending user has enough funds. They circle Valid or Invalid for “Your verification decision.”
Group Consensus: The group discusses their decisions. For a transaction to be Valid, the majority of nodes (group members) must agree that the transaction is legitimate (i.e., the sender has the funds). The group then circles the final Valid or Invalid for “Group consensus.”
Compare Decision: Each person circles Yes or No for “Was your decision the same as the group?”
Repeat for Transaction 2 and Transaction 3.

Activity 1.1: Distributed Ledger Simulation Worksheet
Group Members: _______________________________
Instructions: Record the following information during your distributed ledger simulation.
Transaction 1: _______________________________
● Your verification decision: ⬜ Valid ⬜ Invalid
● Group consensus: ⬜ Valid ⬜ Invalid
● Was your decision the same as the group? ⬜ Yes ⬜ No
Transaction 2: _______________________________
● Your verification decision: ⬜ Valid ⬜ Invalid
● Group consensus: ⬜ Valid ⬜ Invalid
● Was your decision the same as the group? ⬜ Yes ⬜ No
Transaction 3: _______________________________
● Your verification decision: ⬜ Valid ⬜ Invalid
● Group consensus: ⬜ Valid ⬜ Invalid
● Was your decision the same as the group? ⬜ Yes ⬜ No

Reflection Questions:
1. How did your group reach consensus when there were disagreements?

2. How is this process similar to how blockchain works?

3. What would happen if one person tried to change a transaction after it was recorded?

Modification for Solo Learners (Activity 1.1)

Since a single person cannot perform a “group consensus,” the focus shifts to internalizing the rules of blockchain verification and demonstrating the concept of immutability.

Instructions for Solo Learners:

Represent the Network: Imagine you are three different nodes (Node A, Node B, and Node C) in the network.
Establish the Rules: The primary verification rule is: A transaction is only valid if the sender has sufficient funds on the public ledger. (Use the initial balances provided below).

Process and Record: For each of the three transactions, perform the following steps and record the result on the worksheet:

Transaction Number	Transaction Description	Initial Balances (The “Ledger”)
Transaction 1	User A sends 5 MetaTokens to User B.	User A: 10 MetaTokens
Transaction 2	User C sends 8 MetaTokens to User D.	User C: 20 MetaTokens
Transaction 3	User E sends 15 MetaTokens to User F.	User E: 10 MetaTokens

“Your verification decision”: Determine if the transaction follows the rules (Valid) or attempts to break them (Invalid). Circle the correct box.
“Group consensus”: This now represents the Final Network Decision. Circle the box that should be the network’s final decision based on the rules. (It should match your verification decision).
“Was your decision the same as the group?”: Always circle Yes, as you are acting as the entire verifying network.

Reflection Questions: Answer the reflection questions by referencing the concepts the simulation is designed to teach:
- How did your group reach consensus when there were disagreements? Solo Answer Focus: “I acted as the single point of truth (the rules of the blockchain). Since the rules are deterministic (sufficient funds = valid), there was no ‘disagreement’ among the nodes I represented; they all followed the same immutable code.”
- How is this process similar to how blockchain works? Solo Answer Focus: “It shows how a transaction is verified against a public ledger (the shared balance data) by following a clear set of rules (the code/protocol), ensuring only valid transactions can be added to the chain.”
- What would happen if one person tried to change a transaction after it was recorded? Solo Answer Focus: “The attempt to change it would be immediately rejected by the network because the altered transaction would no longer match the cryptographic hash of the original recorded block, proving it was tampered with.”

Activity 1.2: Blockchain Features Matching Game
Instructions: Draw a line connecting each blockchain feature with its correct description and
real-world benefit.
Feature Description Real-World Benefit
Decentralizat
ion

Records cannot be altered once
added

Prevents censorship by governments or
companies

Transparenc
y

No single entity controls the
network

Anyone can verify transactions
independently

Immutability All transactions are visible and

verifiable

Prevents fraud and tampering with
records
Activity 1.3: Community Financial Challenge Worksheet
Instructions: Identify a financial challenge in your community that blockchain could help solve.
Challenge: _______________________________
Who is affected: _______________________________
Current solution (if any): _______________________________
How blockchain could help: _______________________________
Specific MetaWork features that address this: _______________________________
Potential obstacles to implementation: _______________________________

Homework Assignment

Research one real-world blockchain use case (e.g., remittances, supply chain tracking, voting systems). Write a 1-page summary and explain how MetaWork’s approach solves access issues related to your chosen use case.