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Blockchain, from records to applications

Understand how shared transaction histories become application state, when a blockchain is useful, and how ArcBlock puts identities, assets and application rules into practice.

Explore ArcBlock ChainDeveloper guides

A shared history with rules

A blockchain is a distributed ledger whose records are linked cryptographically. Participants validate transactions under shared rules and use a consensus mechanism to agree on the accepted history. That history makes changes inspectable; it does not establish whether an external claim was true.

NIST technical overview

How a transaction changes state

ArcBlock’s transaction and account guides make this concrete: a signed request is checked against protocol rules, accepted into the ledger, and reflected in queryable state.

  1. Identify and sign

    An account signs a request. In ArcBlock, the account address is a DID; the signature must be checked along with the permissions for the requested operation.

    Developer guides

  2. Validate and record

    Transaction types define what can change and the conditions for that change. Validation rejects requests that do not meet those rules.

    Developer guides

  3. Read the resulting state

    Applications query account, token and NFT state. A transaction hash provides an entry point for inspecting the operation that produced a change.

    Developer guides

Blockchain or database?

The useful question is who must verify which records. A database can manage an application’s editable content and private data. A blockchain adds shared transaction validation and history under a network’s rules. Many applications need both.

Blockchain and database · 2018Blockchain demystified · 2020

ArcBlock Chain: application rules in the protocol

ArcBlock Chain is a Layer 1 built for applications. Its protocol includes identity, token and asset operations, with DIDs identifying accounts and objects. The product page explains the public network, independently operated Verifiable Ledgers, and the bridge relationship with Ethereum.

Explore ArcBlock Chain

Identity, assets and service use

These concepts have different jobs. Follow the mechanism relevant to your application rather than treating every blockchain feature as a token.

VCNFT

DID / VC

DID identifies an account or object. VC carries an issuer’s claims. An application still decides which issuers and permissions it accepts.

DID

Tokens and NFTs

Fungible tokens record interchangeable units; NFTs identify distinct assets. Ownership records, transfer rules and any attached claims need to be understood separately.

Developer guides

ABT and Stake for X

ABT is the public network’s native token. Stake for X ties a commitment to a specified application capability, such as Stake for Gas; staking does not by itself promise a yield.

ABT

Build and inspect

Start with the SDK setup and account guide, then inspect transactions and the state they affect. Reference pages describe the available operations and data structures.

SDK setupCreate an account

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