What Was Hyperledger Burrow?
Hyperledger Burrow was an innovative framework designed to execute smart contracts within permissioned blockchains. Originally incubated as part of Hyperledger, a community dedicated to open-source projects tailored for commercial blockchain technology. Burrow aimed to facilitate a cross-industry application boom for smart contracts by offering an efficient, streamlined solution.
Key Takeaways
- Hyperledger Burrow was a versatile framework highly adept at executing smart contracts in permissioned blockchains.
- Powered by a Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus algorithm, Burrow endeavored to enable blockchain scalability suitable for commercial needs.
- Initially conceived as ErisDB by Monax in 2014, Burrow became part of the Hyperledger family of blockchain projects, but was sunsetted in May 2022.
Understanding Hyperledger Burrow
Following the success of Bitcoin, many blockchain enthusiasts saw the potential to use distributed ledgers for deploying smart contracts—self-executing programs operating without human intervention. However, the limited efficiency and high costs associated with open blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum constrained their suitability for business applications.
To address scalability for enterprises, the Linux Foundation launched the Hyperledger community in 2015. Elite industry players like IBM, Intel, and Microsoft joined the initiative to develop scalable, enterprise-grade blockchain tools.
Burrow emerged under the Hyperledger banner alongside other major platforms such as Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, and Hyperledger Iroha. Initially branded as ErisDB, Monax developed Burrow to empower, ship, and manage blockchain-based applications within business ecosystems.
How Hyperledger Burrow Worked
Hyperledger Burrow functioned as software intended to operate nodes in a permissioned blockchain network. These networks ensured known and trusted participants, enabling faster speeds and improved throughput compared to permissionless chains.
While it shared characteristics with other Hyperledger tools, Burrow focused heavily on delivering a
Related Terms: Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, Hyperledger Iroha, Ethereum, Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus, Linux Foundation.
References
- Hyperledger Foundation. “Burrow - The Boring Blockchain”.
- Hyperledger. “2021 Hyperledger Burrow”.
