This is an implementation of a Volition blockchain mining node in C++.
As of this writing, this project is still in the very early stages, even after several years of development. It is working, but still has a long way to go to even be close to production-ready.
This codebase is also the idiosyncratic work of a single developer. Clearly, we need contributors. If you're interested in crypto and handy with C++, please get in touch via our community on Discord.
We're currently using Volition to publish a print-and-play collectible card game project called Volition CCG. Volition CCG is an example of cryptoasset tracking using a Volition blockchain deployment. It went into open beta in late October 2021. We're using it to drive development of the protocol.
While the Volition protocol was designed to be used in permissioned scenarios, participation in the Volition CCG mining network will eventually be public through "Proof of Personhood." For this, we will rely on third party KYC/AML vendors to issue digital identities within a pluggable identity framework: miners will be able to go to an independent KYC/AML vendor, receive a digital identity, use that identity to agree to Volition's mining Terms of Service and then participate in the network. Miners will not need to get permission from us or anyone else.
We like this approach because it strikes a sensible balance between trustlessness (Volition is trustful) and decentralization (no single entity controls access).
Our vision is not a single, private ledger for one project or a universal public ledger for all projects, but many independent "public permissioned" ledgers, one for each publisher or project. And, of course, once a miner has a valid digital identity, they can participate in as many different ledgers as they desire.
Right now, this codebase is suitable for test deployment only. It has not been hardened against attacks (or even simple mistakes). If configured correctly, it should reach consensus with decent performance, but it can be trivially blown up with bad input.
In theory, the Volition consensus algorithm will deliver fault tolerance, but, as implemented now, there are no additional checks in place for certain attacks. Hardening the codebase against attacks will be an ongoing effort.
The current codebase has also not been optimized. For example, the current implementation uses sqlite3 as its persistent storage and HTTP as its protocol. In the near future we will need to separate storage from the host machine and split the server up to run behind a load balancer.
It's still too early in the project for a proper roadmap; that will come into focus as we move into open beta and start seeing the network operate, even at limited scale.
Also, please note that although Volition is a technically deep, complex and hopefully interesting project, it's not the product of professional mathematicians or cryptographers. Our approach has been intuitive; whether Volition can weather the attacks that will come with any attention we're lucky enough to receive remains to be seen.
- Maybe you think it is interesting.
- Maybe you'll get some VOL.
- Maybe you'll use the codebase for your own project, once we have a public license.
- Maybe you're in it for the lulz.
We hope you'll help for a good reason (you find it interesting) and not a dubious reason (sweet, sweet VOL).