Tendermint

What is Tendermint?

Tendermint is software for securely and consistently replicating an application on many machines. At its core, Tendermint is made of two key components; a byzantine fault tolerant (BFT) blockchain engine that handles the networking and consensus, and a generic application interface (ABCI).

The architecture of most blockchain protocols consists of three layers that perform distinct but complementary functions - the networking, consensus, and application layer:

The Networking layer defines how all of the nodes on the protocol talk to each other about what is happening on the network.
The Consensus layer defines how the nodes come to agreement on the state of the chain.
The Application layer is everything else, such as the processing of transactions, that updates the state of the chain.

While one can build all three from the ground up to develop a new blockchain, an open source tool like Tendermint allows developers to build custom chains more quickly.

Tendermint Core, the consensus layer of Tendermint, provides an out-of-the-box consensus design solution for teams that want to develop a new Proof of Stake protocol, while the ABCI allows for the deployment of application logic in any language.

Byzantine fault tolerant consensus mechanisms can continue operating and come to consensus even when a certain percentage (32%) of all participating nodes fail to communicate or act maliciously.

The next stage of evolution for the Tendermint ecosystem has the vision of interoperability between Tendermint chains at its core. To that end, a protocol called Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC) will be used to connect blockchains built with Tendermint with one another. IBC will allow heterogeneous chains to exchange value, particularly tokens, which makes them interoperable.

What are the properties of Tendermint?

Tendermint enables the creation of public or private/permissioned blockchains, as developers define how the validator set is constituted on the application layer.
Tendermint has high transaction throughput; it enables a block time around 1 second a block and handles up to thousands of transactions per second.
Tendermint’s consensus algorithm has instant finality which means that transactions are finalized as soon as blocks are created and can not be changed. Forks of the chain are not possible as long as >33% of the validators are honest.
Security on Tendermint is created because it is fault tolerant and accountable.

What is the Cosmos-SDK?

The Cosmos-SDK is a framework to build the application layer for a blockchain on top of Tendermint. It is modular and uses capabilities-based security. Currently you can only code a Cosmos-SDK based application in Go but other programming languages are expected to be implemented in the future.

What protocols have been built with Tendermint?

Cosmos, Binance DEX, Kava, Agoric, Terra, Oasis, Regen Network, Akash Network, Pocket Network, and IRISnet have all been built with Tendermint.

→ View more terminology.

About Bison Trails

Pioneering Blockchain Infrastructure®

Bison Trails is a blockchain infrastructure platform-as-a-service (PaaS) company based in New York City. We built a platform for anyone who wants to participate in 21 new chains effortlessly.

We also make it easy for anyone building Web 3.0 applications to connect to blockchain data from 33 protocols with Query & Transact (QT). Our goal is for the entire blockchain ecosystem to flourish by providing robust infrastructure for the pioneers of tomorrow.

In January, 2021, we announced Bison Trails joined Coinbase to accelerate our mission to provide easy-to-use blockchain infrastructure, now as a standalone product line. The Bison Trails platform will continue to support our customers. With Coinbase’s backing, we will enhance our infrastructure platform and make it even easier to participate in decentralized networks and build applications that connect to blockchain data.

THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT CONSTRUE ANY SUCH INFORMATION OR OTHER MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT AS LEGAL, TAX, INVESTMENT, FINANCIAL, OR OTHER ADVICE. THIS DOCUMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT OF ANY DIGITAL ASSET, PROTOCOL, NETWORK OR PROJECT. HOWEVER, BISON TRAILS (INCLUDING ITS AFFILIATES AND/OR EMPLOYEES) MAY HAVE, OR MAY IN THE FUTURE HAVE, A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL INTEREST IN, AND MAY RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES RELATED TO, ONE OR MORE OF THE DIGITAL ASSETS, PROTOCOLS, NETWORKS, ENTITIES, PROJECTS AND/OR VENTURES DISCUSSED HEREIN.

THE RISK OF LOSS IN CRYPTOCURRENCY, INCLUDING STAKING, CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL AND NOTHING HEREIN IS INTENDED TO BE A GUARANTEE AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSS. THIS DOCUMENT AND THE CONTENT CONTAINED HEREIN ARE BASED ON INFORMATION WHICH IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE AND HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE BUT BISON TRAILS MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE FAIRNESS, ACCURACY, ADEQUACY, REASONABLENESS OR COMPLETENESS OF SUCH INFORMATION.

ANY USE OF BISON TRAILS’ SERVICES MAY BE CONTINGENT ON COMPLETION OF BISON TRAILS’ ONBOARDING PROCESS, INCLUDING ENTRANCE INTO APPLICABLE LEGAL DOCUMENTATION AND WILL BE, AT ALL TIMES, SUBJECT TO AND GOVERNED BY BISON TRAILS’ POLICIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ITS TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY, AS MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME.