Ferentum Blockchain

A simple, persistent blockchain implementation with a CLI interface, written in Go.

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📌 Overview

Ferentum Blockchain is a minimal blockchain project designed for learning and experimentation. It includes:

• Blockchain core with blocks, hashing, and proof-of-work.
• CLI interface for adding blocks, printing the chain, and validation.
• Persistent storage using Go's gob encoding.

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🛠 Features

• Create and manage a blockchain with a genesis block.
• Add new blocks with proof-of-work.
• Validate blockchain integrity.
• Persistent storage in ferentum-blockchain.dat.

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Go (1.20 or later)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ChristianPacifici/ferentum-blockchain.git
   cd ferentum-blockchain

2. Build the CLI:

   go build -o ferentum-blockchain ./cmd/cli

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📂 Project Structure

ferentum-blockchain/
├── go.mod
├── go.sum
├── main.go
├── blockchain/
│   ├── blockchain.go
│   └── pow.go
└── cmd/
    └── cli/
        └── cli.go

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💻 Usage

Build the CLI

go build -o ferentum-blockchain ./cmd/cli

Install the CLI (Optional)

go install tech.pacifici/blockchain/cmd/cli

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📜 Commands

Add a Block

./ferentum-blockchain add "My Data"

Adds a new block with the specified data to the blockchain.

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Print the Blockchain

./ferentum-blockchain print

Prints all blocks in the blockchain, including their index, timestamp, data, previous hash, hash, and nonce.

Example Output:

Index: 0
Timestamp: [current time]
Data: Genesis Block
PrevHash:
Hash: [hash value]
Nonce: [nonce value]
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Index: 1
Timestamp: [current time]
Data: First Block
PrevHash: [hash of genesis block]
Hash: [hash value]
Nonce: [nonce value]
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Validate the Blockchain

./ferentum-blockchain validate

Validates the integrity of the blockchain.

Example Output:

Is blockchain valid? true

Reset the Blockchain

./ferentum-blockchain reset

Resets the blockchain to the genesis block.

Show Blockchain Info

./ferentum-blockchain info

Displays the number of blocks, the last block hash, and whether the blockchain is valid.

Example Output:

Number of blocks: 3
Last block hash: [hash value]
Is valid: true

Mine a New Block

./ferentum-blockchain mine "My Data"

Mines a new block with the specified data and adds it to the blockchain.

Example Output:

Mined block #3 with hash: [hash value]

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🔧 Example Workflow

1. Reset the Blockchain

   ./ferentum-blockchain reset

2. Add Blocks

   ./ferentum-blockchain add "First Block"
   ./ferentum-blockchain add "Second Block"

3. Show Info

   ./ferentum-blockchain info

4. Mine a Block

   ./ferentum-blockchain mine "Mined Block"

5. Print the Blockchain

   ./ferentum-blockchain print

6. Validate the Blockchain

   ./ferentum-blockchain validate

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🔧 Extending the Project

• Improve Error Handling: Add user-friendly error messages.
• Add Networking: Implement peer-to-peer communication.
• Add Transactions: Extend the blockchain to support transactions.
• Build some APIS: Add some go APIs.

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Open an issue or submit a pull request.

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📜 License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.