Chapter 5. Corda Fundamentals
On the heels of the blockchain fundamentals from the previous chapter, we’re ready to look at how Corda works. What we’ve learned about blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum will help us better understand Corda and how the same concepts are applied or retrofitted into it and, in some cases, discarded by it. Understanding the fundamentals gives us a better appreciation for the rationale behind the decisions to include features in Corda or exclude them.
Bitcoin and Corda have some common history. Corda’s existence can be traced directly to Mike Hearn, the developer of the Java implementation of Bitcoin and now part of R3, the very person who wrote the first lines of Corda code. There’s significant overlap between Bitcoin and Corda as well as some vast differences, and we’ll explore both in this chapter. The content covered in this chapter is applicable to individuals looking for a businessperson-friendly overview and some technical overview.
We’ll take a tour through the Corda platform’s architecture and components. Since Corda has multiple moving parts, the best place to start is with a bird’s-eye view of the Corda network and ecosystem. From there, we’ll drill down and look at the architecture of a node and the select services it offers, what it comprises, and the technology that makes it all work, such as a deterministic JVM and the message queues. Throughout the chapter, we’ll look at a few Corda classes you’re bound to see and use over and over ...
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