Introduction

Welcome to Tessera, a Python implementation of JAM (Join Accumulate Machine). Tessera is designed to provide a performant, type-safe, and scalable blockchain infrastructure with a focus on user-friendly interfaces and developer experience.

Key Features

Type-safe Serialization: Custom codec system for handling protocol types
Consensus Mechanisms: Implementation of Safrole and GRANDPA protocols
State Transition Functions: Efficient state transitions
Network Layer: P2P communication with async I/O
Execution Environment: Polkadot Virtual Machine (PVM) for generic smart contracts

Architecture Overview

Tessera is built with a modular architecture:

Core Protocol: Implements the JAM protocol specification
State Layer: Manages blockchain state and transitions
Consensus Layer: Handles block production and finality
Network Layer: Manages peer connections and data sync
Execution Layer: Runs the Polkadot Virtual Machine (PVM)

Development Status

Tessera is currently under active development. While core components are functional, some features are still being implemented and the API may change.

Getting Started

To get started with Tessera:

Follow the Installation guide to set up your development environment
Read through the Quickstart guide for basic usage
Explore the testing guide for development practices
Check out the Core Concepts section for detailed documentation

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our CONTRIBUTING guide for:

Code style guidelines
Development workflow
Testing requirements
Documentation standards