Can I use Hyperledger within my product? What are the license requirements?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. Based on section 13 of the Hyperledger Charter, all Hyperledger source code is licensed under Apache 2.0 license, unless an appropriate exception has been obtained. A summary of the license can be found at https://tldrlegal.com/license/apache-license-2.0-(apache-2.0); however, we recommend consulting a legal expert who can help you understand the license of Hyperledger source code more clearly, including any dependencies that the source code has.
How much does Hyperledger cost?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. All projects are open source, which means that you can download and use the software free of charge.
When you deploy the blockchain network using one of the Hyperledger frameworks (e.g., Hyperledger Fabric), you will need to pay for the hardware necessary to run the underlying blockchain network, as well as, the application code that you write to access the blockchain network. This hardware could be located on-premise or in the cloud. This would be the same model that you would have with any other type of software that you might need to install to run your use case.
Do I need to join Hyperledger in order to use it in projects?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. All projects are open source, which means that you can download and use the software free of charge without joining Hyperledger.
How do I contribute a source base to Hyperledger?
There are two ways to contribute a source base to Hyperledger.
Hyperledger Labs - https://hyperledger-labs.github.io/ details the requirements and process to propose a lab.
Hyperledger project - The project lifecycle details the process that a project must go through in order to be accepted into incubation, as well as, to move to an active project within Hyperledger.
Which Hyperledger project will allow me to create a blockchain network with smart contracts?
We have five different frameworks that you can use to set up your own blockchain network (in alphabetical order):
All of the frameworks, except Hyperledger Indy, are general purpose -- meaning that you can store whatever type of asset you want. Hyperledger Indy is a framework that is focused on decentralized identity. Besides the project pages, you can also have a look at the Hyperledger Whitepaper, which explains the different projects that we have. Also, we have a video, Business Blockchain Projects Hosted by Hyperledger, that explains all of the projects that are hosted by Hyperledger in just under 16 minutes. There are also two architectural white papers that go into details on each of the frameworks with regards to consensus and smart contracts.
If you have any questions regarding the different projects, the mailing lists and chat are a good place to reach out. We have mailing lists and chat channels for each of the different projects.
Does Hyperledger support smart contracts?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. The architectural white paper covering smart contracts goes into specifics about which of the frameworks supports smart contracts.
What consensus mechanism does Hyperledger use?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. The architectural white paper covering consensus goes into specifics about the consensus algorithms that each of the frameworks uses.
Does Hyperledger require a large amount of energy?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. None of the Hyperledger frameworks utilize proof of work (PoW), as they do not require mining. Because the frameworks are designed for permissioned networks where the actors are known, they can use consensus mechanisms that are crash fault tolerant or byzantine fault tolerant, which do not require the amount of compute power that PoW does. The architectural white paper covering consensus goes into specifics about the consensus algorithms that each of the frameworks uses.
Where is the public Hyperledger network?
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort that is hosted by The Linux Foundation. There are a number of different projects that exist within Hyperledger. The different frameworks within Hyperledger are designed for enterprise business blockchains. You can use the frameworks to set up your own networks. As such, there is no public network.
Where can I get technical help regarding one of the Hyperledger projects?
Hyperledger projects are open source projects and are supported via the community. If you have any questions regarding the different projects, the mailing lists and chat are a good place to reach out. We have mailing lists and chat channels for each of the different projects.
Project | Chat Channel (to start with) | Mailing List |
Hyperledger Burrow | ||
Hyperledger Caliper | ||
Hyperledger Cello | ||
Hyperledger Composer | ||
Hyperledger Explorer | ||
Hyperledger Fabric | ||
Hyperledger Indy | ||
Hyperledger Iroha | ||
Hyperledger Quilt | ||
Hyperledger Sawtooth | ||
Hyperledger Ursa |
If you need more detailed help that you are willing to pay for, you can check out the vendor directory, which is a listing of member companies that provide products and services related to Hyperledger.
What should I do when I am not getting answers to my questions?
There are a few things that can cause your questions not to be answered when reaching out on the chat channels or mailing lists (as described in this FAQ).
Are you using the correct chat channel or mailing list? Specifically, there is a separate chat channel and mailing list for each of our projects. Make sure that you are using the chat channel or mailing list for the project that you are working with.
Have you been very specific about what your problem is and have you provided as much detail as possible for someone to be able to troubleshoot your issue? The more information that you can provide, the more likely it is that you will get answers to your questions. Here is a guide on asking smart questions.
Did you ask your question over the weekend or even more than a few days ago? On chat, the responses you get will sometimes depend on who is available when your question is asked. If it has been a few days since your question was asked, it is always okay to quote your original question and bring it back into the current conversation.
Where can I find out more information regarding Hyperledger?
There are a number of different resources available that will allow you to get more information about Hyperledger.
hyperledger.org - The main website, which contains a wealth of information and resources.
Chat - This is our open source chat platform for interacting with all of the different projects that we host at Hyperledger. We have separate channels for each of our different projects, as well as, our working groups. This is the best way to reach out to the technical community that is deeply involved in the development of our different projects.
Mailing Lists - We also have a number of different mailing lists for our different projects and working groups. If you have questions that are better suited to the distributed nature of our technical community, this is the place to ask them.
Wiki - The Wiki has a section for each of our projects and working groups. You can find some great information on the Wiki.
Source Code - Of course, because of all of the projects are open source, you can directly download the source code and use it.
EdX Blockchain for Business - An Introduction to Hyperledger Technologies - This free course provides a primer to blockchain and distributed ledger technologies and will help you get started building blockchain applications with Hyperledger frameworks.
Webinars - Upcoming or past webinars that cover a variety of topics.
Who is using Hyperledger projects?
Check out the Blockchain Showcase, which lists a number of cross-industry projects that are using Hyperledger frameworks and tools.
Where can I find information about the training for Hyperledger and its projects?
https://www.hyperledger.org/resources/training
Where can I get answers related to the content in the free EdX MOOC?
As a first step, you should try the forums within EdX. This is a community moderated forum that will hopefully be able to answer your questions. Definitely check out the guide on asking smart questions. If you feel the question would be better answered by the project-specific community, check out the "Where can I get technical help regarding one of the Hyperledger projects?" FAQ.