Azure Blockchain Tokens in Preview

• Azure Blockchain Tokens (in preview) will provide an alternative to using third-party blockchain token services.
• Service prices have not been announced, but tokens will initially be limited to customers using Azure Blockchain Services.
• Tokens are a critical component of blockchains, so customers should wait to see if the service reaches general availability before adopting it.

Azure Blockchain Tokens (in preview) simplifies the process of creating and assigning tokens to physical and digital assets used in blockchain deployments and reduces the need to use third-party providers.

Blockchain and Token Overview

A blockchain is a distributed ledger, using a time-stamped data structure, that contains an entire history of transactions for a system that cannot be altered by any one party in the system. Blockchains use algorithms, multiple copies of the blockchain, and a peer-to-peer network that verifies transaction history, so transactions can be trusted without requiring a centralized authority or clearinghouse for transaction approval. This combination reduces the management overhead found in traditional transactional systems and helps standardize auditing and compliance across multiple participants, removing the requirement for any one participant to provide a ledger system.