Hyperledger Iroha Overview

Hyperledger Iroha

Hyperledger Iroha is an open-source, permissioned blockchain framework developed by SORAMITSU and maintained under the Hyperledger Foundation. It provides the technological foundation for SORA’s network infrastructure, enabling secure, high-performance blockchain operations for enterprise and decentralized applications.

What is Hyperledger Iroha?

Hyperledger Iroha is designed with simplicity and fast deployment in mind. Unlike general-purpose blockchain frameworks that require extensive configuration, Iroha provides:

Built-in asset management — Native support for creating and managing digital assets
Granular permissions — Fine-grained access control for enterprise use cases
Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus — Secure finality without energy-intensive mining
Simple API — Clean interfaces for application development

Enterprise Ready

Designed for real-world business applications with robust security and compliance features.

High Performance

Optimized for throughput with deterministic finality and low latency.

Developer Friendly

Clean APIs and comprehensive SDKs for multiple programming languages.

Production Proven

Powers national-level infrastructure including CBDCs and financial systems.

Iroha in the SORA Ecosystem

SORA v2: Substrate + Iroha Heritage

The current SORA v2 network runs on Substrate, integrating with the Polkadot ecosystem. However, SORA’s development has deep roots in Iroha technology:

SORAMITSU developed both Iroha and SORA
Shared architectural principles and security models
Common development team and expertise
Cross-pollination of features and improvements

SORA v3: Full Iroha Integration

SORA v3 (Nexus) represents a strategic transition to Hyperledger Iroha 3:

Aspect	SORA v2	SORA v3
Framework	Substrate	Hyperledger Iroha 3
Ecosystem	Polkadot	Multi-chain hub
Consensus	BABE/GRANDPA	Sumeragi BFT
Smart Contracts	Ink! (WASM)	ISI + WASM
Target Use Cases	DeFi	DeFi + CBDC + Enterprise

Iroha Versions

Iroha 1 (Legacy)

The original Iroha implementation focused on:

Simple asset management
Basic permission system
C++ implementation
Suitable for straightforward enterprise use cases

Iroha 2

Hyperledger Iroha 2 introduced significant improvements:

Rust implementation — Memory safety and performance
WASM smart contracts — Programmable business logic
Improved consensus — Enhanced Sumeragi algorithm
Triggers — Event-driven automation

Key features in Iroha 2:

// Example: Registering an asset in Iroha 2
let asset_definition = AssetDefinition::quantity(
    "xor#sora".parse()?,
).build();

let register_asset = Register::asset_definition(asset_definition);
client.submit(register_asset)?;

Iroha 3 (SORA v3)

Hyperledger Iroha 3 represents the next evolution:

Re-engineered modular design
Layered runtime for domain-specific modules
Upgraded command model
Query isolation for deterministic operations

Core Concepts

Domains

Domains are organizational units in Iroha that group accounts and assets:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│           SORA Domain               │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐  │
│  │ Account │  │ Assets (XOR,    │  │
│  │  alice@ │  │ VAL, PSWAP)     │  │
│  │  sora   │  └─────────────────┘  │
│  └─────────┘                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Accounts

Accounts are identified by name@domain format:

Hold assets and permissions
Can execute transactions
Have associated metadata

Assets

Iroha provides native asset management:

Asset Type	Description	Example
Quantity	Fungible, countable	XOR, VAL tokens
BigQuantity	Large numbers	High-precision values
Fixed	Decimal precision	Stablecoin balances
Store	Key-value data	NFT metadata

Permissions

Granular access control:

CanRegisterAsset
CanTransferAsset
CanMintAsset
CanBurnAsset
CanSetKeyValue
CanRemoveKeyValue

Technical Architecture

Peer-to-Peer Network

Iroha operates as a distributed P2P network:

    ┌──────┐     ┌──────┐
    │Peer 1│◄───►│Peer 2│
    └──┬───┘     └───┬──┘
       │             │
       ▼             ▼
    ┌──────┐     ┌──────┐
    │Peer 3│◄───►│Peer 4│
    └──────┘     └──────┘

Consensus Layer

The Sumeragi consensus algorithm provides:

Byzantine Fault Tolerance — Operates correctly with up to 1/3 malicious nodes
Deterministic finality — No block reorganizations
Leader rotation — Fair participation across validators
View change — Recovery from failed leaders

Learn more about Sumeragi consensus →

Transaction Pipeline

Client submits transaction to peer
Validation checks permissions and signatures
Consensus orders transaction across network
Execution applies changes to world state
Commitment finalizes block

Smart Contracts

Iroha supports two smart contract paradigms:

Iroha Special Instructions (ISI)

Domain-oriented commands for common operations:

// ISI examples
Register::domain(domain);
Register::account(account);
Transfer::asset_quantity(from, to, amount);
Mint::asset_quantity(asset, amount);
Burn::asset_quantity(asset, amount);

WASM Contracts

Custom business logic in WebAssembly:

#[iroha_wasm::main]
fn main(host: Iroha) {
    // Custom smart contract logic
    let caller = host.query_single(FindAccountById::new(
        host.context().authority().clone()
    )).unwrap();

    // Execute operations
    host.submit(instruction).unwrap();
}

Learn more about smart contracts →

Production Deployments

Bakong (Cambodia CBDC)

The National Bank of Cambodia uses Iroha for Bakong:

National retail payment system
Millions of active users
Real-time settlement
Cross-bank interoperability

Solomon Islands CBDC

SORAMITSU is piloting a CBDC with the Central Bank of Solomon Islands:

Financial inclusion for remote islands
Integration with local banking infrastructure
Mobile-first design

SORA Network

SORA v3 will be the largest public deployment of Iroha 3:

Decentralized economic system
Cross-chain hub connecting multiple blockchains
SORA Parliament governance
DeFi infrastructure

Developer Resources

SDKs and Libraries

Language	Library	Status
Rust	iroha_client	Official
JavaScript	@iroha2/client	Official
Python	iroha-python	Community
Java	iroha-java	Official

Getting Started

# Clone Iroha repository
git clone https://github.com/hyperledger/iroha.git
cd iroha

# Build from source
cargo build --release

# Run a single peer for testing
cargo run --release -- --config config.json

Learn More

Sumeragi Consensus Deep dive into Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus

Smart Contracts WASM contracts and Iroha Special Instructions

SORA v3 / Nexus The next generation SORA network

Official Docs Hyperledger Iroha documentation