README.md

HNChain

HNChain is a specification-first Layer 1 blockchain architecture focused on security, deterministic execution, modularity, predictable economics, long-term maintainability, and open protocol evolution.

The project is currently in the architecture and specification phase.

Current Status

Status: Draft documentation and architectural specifications.

Protocol implementation is limited to initial hn-core primitive types and the hn-hncs primitive codec foundation.

The repository contains an initial Rust workspace scaffold for the future reference implementation.

The current whitepaper candidate is:

• HNChain Whitepaper v0.1 Draft

Documentation

Start here:

• Documentation Map

Core documents:

• Protocol Invariants
• Account State Model
• Cryptographic Identity
• Address Format
• Canonical Serialization
• Hash Algorithms
• Transaction Format
• State Tree
• Block Format
• Consensus Architecture
• Validator Set Model
• Leader Election
• Vote Messages And Quorum Certificates
• Finality Rules
• Fork-Choice Rules
• Slashing And Accountability
• Synchronization Checkpoints
• Light-Client Finality Proofs
• P2P Protocol Messages
• Storage And State Interfaces
• Implementation Language
• Rust Workspace Policy
• Protocol Versioning
• Core Primitive Types RFC

Specification First

HNChain follows:

architecture -> specifications -> review -> implementation -> testing -> audit

Code must not define protocol behavior by accident. Protocol behavior is defined by accepted specifications.

Development

The Rust workspace is intentionally minimal at this stage.

Required toolchain:

• Rust 1.97.1
• rustfmt
• clippy

Expected checks:

cargo fmt --all --check
cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets --all-features -- -D warnings
cargo test --workspace --all-targets --all-features

Licensing

Code is licensed under Apache-2.0.

Documentation is licensed under CC BY 4.0 unless a file states otherwise.