by tobysharp

Hornet NodeHornet Node

Bitcoin’s consensus rules have never existed as a standalone specification – they are defined implicitly by the reference client. Hornet Node is an attempt to change that: a minimal, ground-up Bitcoin client built around a declarative spec. As a side effect of the novel architecture, it currently validates mainnet 10x faster than Core v30 (-assumevalid on 32-core workstation).

I published a paper last September introducing Hornet and posted it to the bitcoin-dev mailing list. In case you missed it, I’m recapping here with code snippets and the latest developments.

Part I: Hornet NodePart I: Hornet Node

Hornet Node is a specification-first minimal alternative Bitcoin client built from scratch for clarity, correctness, and performance.

What problem is Hornet aiming to solve?What problem is Hornet aiming to solve?

Bitcoin is defined by its consensus rules, yet those rules have never existed as a clear, independent specification. Hornet begins from the premise that the protocol deserves a precise, executable foundation separate from any particular codebase, so that Bitcoin’s software can evolve and diversify safely even as its rules ossify.

The goals of Hornet Node are:The goals of Hornet Node are:

• Show that Bitcoin consensus can be expressed as a clear, concise, executable specification without side effects.
• Provide a correct, auditable, and compact implementation with a path toward formal verification.
• Offer a working alternative client for experimentation, education, and client diversification.
• Demonstrate how clean architecture can also enable significant performance improvements.

Current statusCurrent status

Currently Hornet Node can validate mainnet in 15 minutes using -assumevalid on a 32-core workstation.



...read more at delvingbitcoin.org