Tendermint (Ignite) Explained

Tendermint - now called Ignite- , provides software that aids developers in building their blockchain projects easily and securely on Cosmos. The low-level protocol provides users with a consensus mechanism that runs on BFT, plus an all-inclusive Application Blockchain Interface (APCI).

Developers who wish to create blockchains, decentralized Apps, wallets, tokens, or deploy smart contracts find it an invaluable alternative to starting from scratch. In this piece, we will explain the features of Tendermint, how they work and what benefits developers can accrue from the protocol.

What Is Tendermint?

Tendermint is a protocol that provides developers with the necessary tools for launching blockchains and Dapps securely and stress-free. It enables the replication of blockchains across multiple devices and the creation of applications using users’ preferred language.

It utilizes Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) to maintain security in all operations. Usually, blockchains and Dapps require three layers to function; the consensus engine, the networking layer, and the application layer.

Tendermint provides these layers in a modular architectural technology that lets developers choose which application interface to apply. Some apps built on Tendermint include; Binance DEX, Oasis Labs, Terra, Regen Networks, Cosmos, etc.

Recently in 2022, the Tendermint company rebranded to Ignite. The protocol was founded in 2014 by Jae Kwon, a software architect, and Ethan Buchman, an internet biophysicist. From inception, the protocol was saddled with the development of the back-end infrastructure for Cosmos but has additionally tilted to be product-focused (user experiences & developers platform).

Features of Tendermint

Tendermint Core:

This is Tendermint’s consensus engine. It functions on Proof of Stake (PoS), where a selected node from a validator set proposes the new block to be added to a blockchain. Other Validators must then vote before the block goes through.

Multiple systems on Tendermint can view the same transactions at the same time and in the same order.

Furthermore, since one cannot always detect malicious intent, Tendermint maintains security using Byzantine Fault Tolerance. BFT is a mechanism that allows for the Consensus to be resistant to up to ⅓ malicious nodes.

Application Blockchain Interface (ABCI):

This is the Tendermint toolkit of ready-to-use software for replicating or launching blockchains.

Tendermint is unlike most major blockchains in that it has a modular architecture in contrast with the popular monolithic architecture. Its modular architecture makes it possible for a wide range of applications and their different languages to be integrated with the Tendermint core. ABCI is a major part of tendermint’s networking layer, a channel for all transactions and interactions. Any application Layer logic must go through to ABCI to reach the consensus engine. Furthermore, ABCI supports any programming language on application logic layers connected to it.

Tendermint & Cosmos

As mentioned earlier, Cosmos blockchain is one of the core derivatives of Tendermint software. It was launched in 2017 with the aim of building a multi-chain ecosystem or a pool of interconnected blockchains.

Cosmos utilizes the IBC (inter-blockchain communication) for interaction between blockchains and secures the network using Tendermint’s Byzantine Fault-Tolerant (BFT) Proof-of-Stake consensus and the Cosmos SDK framework.

What is Cosmos Software Development Kit SDK?

Cosmos SDK is an open-source framework or model that is core to Tendermint and used for building application-specific blockchains. It has a variety of pre-built frameworks that allow developers to build and deploy quickly. The Cosmos SDK public chains currently manage over $6 billion in assets and run over 260 applications.

Ecosystem

Cosmos Network

Cosmos SDK allows developers to build both proof-of-Authority(PoA) & Proof-of-Stake(PoS) blockchains. This framework also comes with interoperability features with other protocols by connecting to the Cosmos Network through the Cosmos Hub.

Cosmos Hub (A layer-0 Blockchain)

The Cosmos Hub, the first Cosmos Blockchain, acts as an interoperability system for all the independent blockchains on the Cosmos network. These independent blockchains are referred to as other Zones. The interoperability function is issued as each Zone connects to Cosmos Hub via the IBCP. -That is, every zone or independent blockchain connected to the Cosmos Hub can operate with one another.

Tendermint’s Partially Synchronous Communication

Tendermint belongs to a class of protocols that deal with consensus in partially synchronous communication, where the model of a partially synchronous system alternates between periods of synchrony and asynchrony.

In a synchronous communication architecture, every message is ensured to arrive within a predetermined window of time, and the system can only function properly if there are no faulty nodes. In contrast, in an asynchronous communication model, there is no guarantee that messages will be delivered within a fixed time period, and the system can continue to operate even if there are faulty nodes. In Tendermint’s partially synchronous communication model, the network assumes that messages are delivered within a certain time period, called “time uncertainty.” The system can operate normally as long as less than 1/3 of the validators (or “nodes”) are faulty, so it strikes a balance between the security and performance of synchronous and asynchronous models. It allows for a high level of security, but also allows for high performance, since the time it takes for messages to be delivered does not need to be extremely small. In a nutshell, the speed of progress is determined by actual network speed rather than structural factors.

Advantages Of Tendermint

1. Interoperability: Tendermint provides a means of interacting between blockchains. It offers interoperability across blockchains with its Cosmos Hub when it is connected to the Cosmos Network.

2. Modular Architecture: It allows the application interface to be disconnected from the consensus engine. That way, projects from other networks can connect their business logic to Tendermint using any programming language they prefer. A good example of this is Ethermint which was previously on the Ethereum network and is now integrated into Tendermint.

3. Scalability: In contrast to Proof of Work Blockchains like Ethereum, Tendermint has sharding capabilities which makes it scalable.

Disadvantages of the Network

1. Vulnerability: Tendermints BFT model gives it ⅓ tolerance to attack. Compared to Proof of Work blockchains, that’s an 18% higher rate of vulnerability to hacks by traitor nodes.

2. Accessibility: The Consensus stake from validators is usually inaccessible for several months.

3. Entry barrier: Because the number of coins at stake determines the power of the vote, users with a small stake regard their governance role as negligible.

Conclusion

Tendermint’s Cosmos ready-made kit is an attractive feature for developers and projects alike. It positions itself as the framework that enables developers to skip network-related codes, skipping to application logic.

It is important to note that Tendermint is not the only engine for modularized DApps, but it also enables blockchains cloning.

Many developers also developed an interest in the BFT consensus mechanism used by Tendermint(Ignite) because it utilizes the proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism for validation. Unlike the proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism, this mechanism offers a more rapid means of validating transactions, that is, the Tendermint engine offers scalability.

Finally, as the demand for scalability and interoperability of the premiere blockchains continues to rise, Ignite might be set to take on the mainstream as they continue to improve on the already mentioned features.