Holochain is a framework for building fully distributed peer to peer customized applications. Not to be confused holochain is not the blockchain and does not work like the blockchain which creates a fully decentralized general system but rather creates a fully distributed peer to peer customized application. Also, it does not work with data like the decentralized servers of the blockchain does rather it works with agents. Holochain is agent-centric in the sense that it does not force consensus like the blockchain does which makes scalability a major problem in most of the projects and coins in the blockchain sphere rather holochain has agents who work independent of each other and have their history and data stored in the H-chain.
You may probably be wondering why the name holochain is affiliated with a chain when the agents work independently of each other. Well, the chain aspects come into place because holochain has a point, which is the centre of the network where it pushes the chain to the edges.
It is also important to know that every transaction, or generally any activity that is carried out by an agent in the holochain is being signed with a signature which is the agents private key. This is where everything makes sense because there is no forced consensus on your transaction and it’s still valuable and meaningful from the agent’s source code with the agent’s signature on it.
Distributed Hash Table(DHT)
Holochain implements the Distributed Hash Table(DHT) as the public space where every node upholds approval decision on the information that is in the Distributed Hash Table and also enforcing it to validate the data from the source chain and where it came from. This was added to the source chain in order to avoid the problems faced when a node goes offline in a centralized system. DHT helps in making other nodes accessible even when one of the nodes goes offline. Also, each individual nodes stores entry in the holochain via the DHT in order for public contents posted by other agents to the holochain and also set a particular number of copies for each entry that can be stored - This is to ensure that the content can be accessible by other agents even when a node is offline and not just cut off like the centralized node system.
Distributed Validation
This a very unique part of the Holochain of which I think should be implemented in all social media. The Distributed Validation that has been put in the holochain works like a plagiarism software. I used this example for the easier understanding of how this works by someone who is not conversant with computer science. The Plagiarism software is used in checking a post, article or writing for copied contents and to help people know when a person tries to post contents that do not belong to him online. The Distributed Validation system works in a similar way to this but more complex with the use of DNA codes and validation rules.
It is interesting to know that when an agent tries to perform illegal or improper actions on the holochain like trying to post in the name of another agent, trying to hack or attack the system, the DNA codes reads the improper entry as invalid. Also, in the holochain, this kind of malicious attack does not end in the “invalid entry” - A built immune-system which receives information of the attacker (which is the agent’s signature) and shares the information amongst the peer to peer customized agent applications to confirm that the entry is invalid. The penalty for this agent for trying to wrongly attack the system and other agent is usually total miscommunication of others with the guilty agent.
Not to be confused all these depends on the application and the agent source chain setting. For example, sharing content on an application like facebook on the holochain will not necessarily result in an invalid entry as you did not pose to be the owner of the content but other shared the content with the owner’s details.
How does Holochain Help People
Holochain is like having your own blockchain and can still connect with many another blockchain with no need of forced consensus to function.
Holochain helps people in carrying out transactions in a decentralized system.
With holochain you can create and control your own data.
With Holochain building of Applications just got cheaper and faster.
Agents are able to build applications on the holochain and connect it in a way that is best for it.
Agents are able to have control over their data and their identity.
How Does the HoloChain Applications help;
It helps in the building of social networks, social media and vendor links
It helps in effective collaboration and governance
Supply Chain Wins and Social communities
Sharing Economy and Platform Co-ops Applications Source
Meet The Team
In Conclusion
Holochain is not blockchain, rather it is a framework for building fully customized and distributed peer to peer applications. It is Agent-centric where each agent has full control over data and identity. The Holochain implements the Distributed hash table (DHT) which stores a redundant number of each entry of each agent and make public contents shared by an agent available to other agents even when the agent source chain is offline. It also has a Distribution Validation system that acts like a plagiarism software where malicious attacks or agents pretending to be another agents are detected by the DNA codes and validation rules and curbed using an immune system which receives cryptographical encrypted proof of malicious activities from the DHT and sends it to the different peers who confirm the activities before action is taken.
This alone makes me love the holochain as the safety of our contents is ensured. The situation where someone does not pretend to be you but only shares your content, the holochain uses what they call the membranes to check and validate the permission on the content shared to avoid the invalidity of an agents entry. Lastly, we should all note that anything that has to do with holochain is an application and holochain helps in building, cheaper better and faster application with their technology.
Further reading
Holochain Website
Holochain Whitepaper
Holochiain GetStarted
Holochain Events
Holochain Chat