Abstract
The rise of blockchain technology within a few years has attracted researchers across the world. The primary reason for worldwide attention is undoubtedly due to its feature of immutability along with the decentralised approach of data protection. As this technology is progressing, lots of developments in terms of identifying new applications, blockchain-based platforms, consensus mechanisms, etc., are taking place. Hence, in this article, an attempt has been made to review the recent advancements in blockchain technology. Furthermore, we have also explored the available blockchain platforms, highlighted and explored future research directions and challenges.