Getting Started

An introduction to Hyperledger Besu and its benefits on CatalyX Blockchain Manager

Hyperledger Besu is an open-source, community-supported Ethereum client designed to be enterprise-friendly for both public and private permissioned network use cases, with an extractable EVM implementation. CatalyX Blockchain Manager supports the permissioned version of Hyperledger Besu and leverages the three available Proof of Authority consensus protocols: IBFT 2.0, QBFT, and Clique.

Hyperledger Besu is an ideal choice for organizations looking to work within the wider Ethereum ecosystem, while reducing gas fees and adding scalability, privacy, and permissioning features.

Benefits of Hyperledger Besu on CatalyX

Hyperledger Besu's strengths lie in its compatibility with Ethereum, support for private transactions, flexibility in consensus mechanisms, and robust security features:

• Ethereum Compatibility: Besu is compatible with the Ethereum public network, supporting all major Ethereum standards, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (DApps).

• Support for Private Networks: Besu is well-suited for private or permissioned blockchain implementations, making it ideal for enterprises that wish to use Ethereum-compatible technology while maintaining control over network access and data.

• Privacy Features: Besu enables private transactions and private contracts within an extractable EVM implementation — crucial for businesses that need to keep transaction details confidential.

• Consensus Protocol Flexibility: With CatalyX for Hyperledger Besu, users can choose from IBFT 2.0, QBFT, or Clique, selecting based on the needs of the use case, such as transaction finality or number of validators.

• Network Control: Hyperledger Besu allows network participants to customize fee schemes and toggle requirements for API authentication, providing enhanced flexibility and control.

• Performance and Scalability: Besu is designed to handle large numbers of transactions typical in enterprise settings while reducing gas fees, and even offers the option for networks to implement their own independent fee policies.

• API Support: Besu offers extensive API support, including JSON-RPC, making it easy to integrate with existing systems and tools.

• Security: Developed under the Hyperledger umbrella, Besu combines open-source affordability and enterprise-grade security with EVM compatibility.

Hyperledger Besu Architecture

The client architecture consists of three main components: Ethereum core, Storage, and Execution engine. The EVM and consensus are part of the Ethereum core, supported by a transaction processor and a block validator. The Ethereum core also includes a transaction pool and a synchronizer, which facilitates synchronization between nodes and the network.

While the core client architecture is relatively simple, it can be easily expanded with plugins. This approach enables Hyperledger Besu's modularity — you can use existing open-source Besu plugins or build your own using the Plugin API, which provides access to interfaces facilitating plugin development.

Check the Hyperledger Besu Docs to read more about the Besu architecture.