Hyperledger Sawtooth, a Linux Foundation Project is a modular platform designed to build, deploy and run distributed ledgers.
A distributed ledger is another term for a blockchain which distributes a database (ledger) of transactions to all participants in a particular network. Distributed ledgers maintain digital records without a central administrator. This means it’s:
Distributed — All participants in a blockchain database have the same information.
Immutable — This database cannot be altered so it’s easy to detect and prevent any attempts to edit that history.
Secure — Changes are completed via transactions that are only signed by known identities.
This combination of features promotes greater security and smooth transactions between participants in blockchain networks and the first version of Sawtooth is positioned for use by a range of companies with meeting regulatory and consumer needs. Its contributors include such startups as R3 as well as established companies like Capital One and Red Hat. Not only that, but T-Mobile, Amazon, and Huawei are already using Hyperledger Sawtooth.
One thing that makes Sawtooth standout is the method through which computing networks which are running the software can form a consensus on events. In other words, Sawtooth allows users to reach an agreement even when they do not know one another. Other blockchains require users know and trust one another, thus thwarting denial-of-service attacks and other efforts to infiltrate the blockchain.
Also notable is how easy it is for Sawtooth to be integrated with hardware security solutions, which was first met with controversy as it places certain security aspects of a decentralized ledger behind hardware which could be vulnerable to attack. However, the Sawtooth team has stated that this is important in order to balance the security demands of enterprise companies with the strengths of public blockchains and greater transaction volume.
Sawtooth has set standards high for other companies who might be interested in creating such hardware, but its creators have stated that they don’t see this as being the only one who can occupy this space.
