ByteChain: Testnet Alpha (v0.2.0)

Warning: ByteChain is in active development. Features are subject to change, and this Testnet Alpha should be used for experimental purposes only. Your feedback is highly appreciated!

Project Overview

ByteChain is a decentralized blockchain project designed to provide a robust framework for secure transactions and, in future phases, smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). The Testnet Alpha focuses on establishing a resilient peer-to-peer network and validating core blockchain functionalities, including basic transactions and the Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism.

While this Testnet Alpha is limited to fundamental transaction processing and network synchronization, the roadmap for the Mainnet includes advanced features such as the ByteChain Virtual Machine (BVM) for executing smart contracts written in the Byte language.

Features of ByteChain Testnet Alpha (Current)

• Core Blockchain Operations: Supports the creation, validation, and inclusion of basic transactions into blocks.
• Transaction Pool (Mempool): Transactions broadcast to the network are held in a temporary pool, awaiting selection and inclusion by miners into new blocks.
• Proof-of-Work (PoW) Consensus: Blocks are secured and validated using a customizable Proof-of-Work algorithm, ensuring network integrity and resistance to double-spending.
• Distributed Network (LibP2P): Nodes communicate and synchronize via a libp2p network, utilizing PubSub (GossipSub) for efficient propagation of new transactions and mined blocks across the network. This provides a robust and scalable foundation for decentralized communication.
• Automatic Mining: Nodes are configured to automatically attempt to mine new blocks at regular intervals, selecting transactions from the pool to include. This simulates continuous block production and network progression, and does not require manual intervention.
• Unique Balance Calculation Model: ByteChain employs a distinct balance management approach. When a user sends Byte (the native currency), their balance is immediately reduced by the sent amount. However, the recipient's balance is only updated once the transaction is mined and included in a block on-chain. This design allows senders to issue multiple transactions concurrently, provided they have sufficient funds, without waiting for previous transactions to be confirmed, while still preventing double-spending of the same funds.
• HTTP API for Client Interaction: A RESTful API is exposed by each node, allowing external clients (like wallets and block explorers) to query blockchain data and submit pre-signed transactions. This decouples the client interface from the core P2P network.

Architecture Highlights

• Node-to-Node (P2P) Communication: Handled by libp2p, providing robust peer discovery (mDNS for local, extendable to DHT for global), secure connections (Noise), and efficient data propagation (GossipSub PubSub) for blocks and transactions.
• Client (Wallet/Explorer) to Node Communication: Managed via a standard HTTP API (Express.js), enabling wallets to interact with the blockchain by sending signed transactions and querying chain state.
  • Crucial Note on Wallet Security: Wallet applications are responsible for client-side account creation (generating and securing private keys) and client-side transaction signing. ByteChain nodes do not manage user private keys or create accounts; they only process and validate signed transactions submitted by clients.
  • Client-Side Development: For building client-side applications (like web wallets or block explorers) that interact with ByteChain nodes, a dedicated JavaScript library like bc-web3js can be used. This library simplifies common tasks such as account management, transaction signing, and interacting with the node's API.
• Modular Design: The project is structured with separation of concerns, aiming for a reusable core blockchain library.

Installation

To run a ByteChain Testnet Alpha node locally, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ByteChain-Labs/ByteChain-Testnet-Alpha.git

2. Install Dependencies: Navigate to the project directory and install the necessary packages. This includes libp2p, express, and their associated types.

   cd ByteChain-Testnet-Alpha
   npm install

3. Run the Testnet Node: Go to the bc-setup.json file and add the p2p_port, api_port and blockchain_addr you want to use for that node:

   npm run bc-node

Usage (Under Development)

Interacting via HTTP API:

Each running node exposes an HTTP API for client interaction. You can use tools like curl, Postman, or your web browser to interact.

• View the Blockchain:
  • Open your browser to http://localhost:3001/chain (replace 3001 with your node's api_port).
• View Pending Transactions:
  • http://localhost:3001/tx/pool
• Check Account Balance:
  • http://localhost:3001/balance/<YOUR_ADDRESS> (Replace <YOUR_ADDRESS> with an actual ByteChain address from the node's logs, or an address you generated in your test script).
• Submit a Signed Transaction: Transactions must be signed on the client-side using the sender's private key. The API expects the complete, signed transaction object.

  curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
      "amount": 10,
      "sender": "SENDER_BYTECHAIN_ADDRESS",
      "recipient": "RECIPIENT_BYTECHAIN_ADDRESS",
      "fee": FEE_YOU_CAN_PAY,
      "publicKey": "SENDER_PUBLIC_KEY",
      "signature": "TRANSACTION_SIGNATURE",
      "nonce": SENDER_NONCE
  }' http://localhost:3001/tx/send

• Trigger a Manual Block Mine (For Testing/Debugging Only): While nodes mine automatically, this endpoint can be used to force a block mine immediately for testing purposes, rather than waiting for the automatic interval.

  curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"minerAddress": "YOUR_MINER_BYTECHAIN_ADDRESS"}' http://localhost:3001/mine

Node Operations:

• Automatic Mining: Nodes will continuously mine new blocks containing valid transactions from their pool.
• Transaction Propagation: Transactions created on one node are automatically broadcast to other connected peers via libp2p's PubSub.
• Block Mining & Propagation: When a node successfully mines a block, it is broadcast to the network, and other nodes will validate and add it to their chain, clearing included transactions from their local pools.

Future Development & Roadmap

• Robust Chain Synchronization: Implement a more sophisticated mechanism for new nodes to synchronize their chains upon connecting, and for fork resolution.
• Comprehensive Transaction Validation: Enhance validation of transactions, including proper nonce management, sufficient balance checks before adding to the pool, and rigorous signature verification.
• Robust Block Validation: Full validation of Proof-of-Work and all transactions within a received block, ensuring compliance with network rules.
• Wallet & Block Explorer UIs: Dedicated frontend applications leveraging the HTTP API for a user-friendly experience.
• ByteChain Virtual Machine (BVM): Development of a virtual machine and a Byte smart contract language to enable decentralized applications.
• Advanced Peer Discovery: Integration of DHT and other libp2p discovery mechanisms for global peer discovery.
• Persistence: Saving the blockchain state to disk to allow nodes to restart and resume from their last known state.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from developers, researchers, and blockchain enthusiasts to help make ByteChain a robust and scalable platform. If you’d like to help with the development, please see the Contributing Guidelines.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.