Key Characteristics

What is Hyperledger Cactus?

Cactus is a pluggable enterprise-grade framework to transact on multiple distributed ledgers without introducing yet another competing blockchain. An SDK of SDKs

Cactus aims to provide Decentralized, Adaptable and Secure Integration to and Adaptable Integration between Blockchain Networks.  between Blockchain Networks. It's aims to cover as many protocols as possible through
an extensible plugin architecture where new protocols or functionality can be added by creating new plugins.

Why should I use Cactus?

• To address blockchain fragmentation; Allow developers to connect and perform transactions across different blockchain networks.
• Save (distributed) app developers from re-inventing the wheel; Simplify secure interactions with blockchain nodes using a standardized interface across protocols.
• Lower risk of adopting blockchain by businesses; Abstract your app layer from the blockchain protocol, allowing developers to easily change the blockchain
  protocol being used and reducing risks of your app being obsolete.
  

What are Cactus Design principles?

• Key principles: 
  • Plugin architecture: Maximize flexibility and future-proofing through plug-in architecture
    
  • Secure by Default: Avoid needing explicit action from users to have a secure Cactus deployment.
  • Toll Free: Users should not be required to use tokens for transactions & Operators should not be required to take a cut of individual transactions

  • Low Impact Deployment: Do not interfere with or impede existing network requirements

• Additional principles:
  • Wide Support: Support as many blockchain protocols as possible, and constantly support new ones.
  • Prevent Double Spending: Whenever two networks are interacting with each other ensure that there is no double spend whenever possible.
  • Preserving Ledger Features: Using Cactus should allow you to use all the features which the protocol enables.
  • Horizontal Scalability: Cactus should never be the bottleneck of all the networks involved. IE: If 2 networks can do 100tps, Cactus should be able to handle 200

What are Cactus current features?

• Connectors for different blockchain protocols
  • Hyperledger Besu, Hyperledger Fabric, (WIP for Corda, Geth, and Quorum)
• Atomic transfers across legers
  • HTLCs for Ether, ERC20 (WIP Fabtoken)
• Decoupled identity
  • JWT, (WIP OpenAPI) 
• Metrics 
  • Prometheus and Grafana based monitoring of the individual plugins

How can I collaborate?

To see a guide on how to use Hyperledger Cactus, take a look at the links below in the Documentation section. Keep in mind that this is currently being updated so please write us through the different means listed in the Communication section.
If you want to collaborate in Cactus' development, you can pick an issue directly from Github. If you need extra guidance, contact us through the chat or join one of our meetings and we can help you.

Hyperledger Cactus is currently undergoing a major refactoring effort to enable the desired to-be architecture which will enable plug-in based collaborative development to increase the breadth of use cases & Ledgers supported.

For a better understanding of where Hyperledger Cactus is heading please see the Whitepaper and Design Principles below!

Documentation

• Whitepaper
• Original Design Principles Google Doc

Project Management

Hyperledger Cactus uses GitHub Issues to track work items.

Repositories

Hyperledger Cactus uses GitHub for source code control.

• Main repo

Communication

Mailing List

• cactus@lists.hyperledger.org

  • subscribe

  • messages

Chat (for questions and ephemeral discussions)

• #cactus

Meeting

https://lists.hyperledger.org/g/cactus/calendar

History

• Approved by the TSC on 30 APR 2020
• Proposal the TSC voted on