Simple Blockchain in Rust

This project is a simple implementation of a blockchain written in Rust. Actually, this project is a Rust rewrite of the Naivechain project. It includes basic functionalities such as creating a blockchain, adding blocks, and a peer-to-peer network for sharing blocks between nodes. This implementation does not include a consensus protocol.

Project Structure

The project is divided into several modules:

• main.rs: The entry point of the application. It sets up the HTTP server and the peer-to-peer network.
• api.rs: Handles API requests for interacting with the blockchain, including retrieving and mining blocks.
• engine.rs: Manages the blockchain's internal logic and communication between nodes.
• chain.rs: Defines the Block and Chain structures and implements the logic for creating and validating blocks.
• net.rs: Configures the peer-to-peer network using libp2p and manages message transmission between nodes.

Modules Overview

main.rs

• Uses the actix_web framework to set up an HTTP server for handling API requests.
• Parses command-line arguments using clap.
• Initializes the blockchain with a genesis block.
• Configures the network and starts the engine to handle blockchain operations.

api.rs

• Defines the ApiState struct, which holds the blockchain and transmission handlers.
• Provides API endpoints for:
  • Retrieving the current blockchain (/blocks/get).
  • Mining a new block (/blocks/mine).
  • Viewing peers (/peers).
  • Adding new peers (/addpeer).

engine.rs

• Manages the blockchain logic, including handling incoming P2P messages.
• Ensures the local blockchain is up-to-date by responding to and sending messages across the network.

chain.rs

• Defines the Block struct with fields like index, previous_hash, timestamp, data, and hash.
• Implements methods for creating and validating blocks, as well as managing the blockchain's state.

net.rs

• Configures the P2P network using libp2p, enabling nodes to discover each other via mDNS and communicate using the GossipSub protocol.
• Manages incoming and outgoing P2P messages, ensuring blocks are shared across nodes.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Rust (latest stable version)
• Cargo (Rust package manager)

Running the Application

1. Clone the repository:

$ git clone <repository-url>
$ cd naivechain-rs

2. Build the project:

$ cargo build

3. Run the application:

$ cargo run -- --port <PORT_NUMBER>