OpenBazaar/openbazaar-go: The Back-End Development of a P2P Marketplace
OpenBazaar/openbazaar-go, a public GitHub repository, is leading the charge into the new frontier of peer-to-peer (P2P) e-commerce marketplaces. Providing a go backend for the OpenBazaar network, this transformative project is set to redefine the traditional e-commerce space, emphasizing privacy, and economic freedom.
Project Overview:
OpenBazaar/openbazaar-go is at its core an open-source project aiming to establish a decentralized network for P2P commerce online—catering to the exchange of goods and services directly between parties using popular cryptocurrencies. Bypassing the need for intermediaries and eliminating transaction fees, the project underlines an innovative solution to excessive transaction costs and siloed marketplaces.
The target audience for OpenBazaar ranges from avid cryptocurrency users and advocates of economic freedom to sellers disenfranchised by traditional e-commerce platforms.
Project Features:
The core features of this project include full integration with the IPFS to enable a distributed network, native support for Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Zcash transactions, and advanced features like moderators and a reputation system.
These features collectively empower OpenBazaar users with an unprecedented level of control and freedom - creating a seamless ecosystem to transact, directly between buyers and sellers, without any intermediaries.
For instance, a seller could use the integrated Bitcoin wallet to accept payments for their goods or services, while a buyer could utilize the reputation system to gauge the reliability of their potential trade partners.
Technology Stack:
The project is primarily built utilizing Go—a statically typed, compiled programming language. The choice of Go, combined with its advanced concurrency mechanisms, provides speed and efficiency. The openbazaar-go also leverages IPFS to foster a distributed network, and makes significant use of libp2p for networking.
Noteworthy libraries include BTCD for Bitcoin scripts, and IPFS Lite to integrate IPFS function. OpenBazaar's technology stack succinctly blends these tools to scale and maintain the performance of a robust platform.
Project Structure and Architecture:
The repository adheres to a well-structured organization, split into various components. These include core modules for managing transactions and order fulfillment, networking, and an interface for the OB1 mobile client. Moreover, there's an intricate architecture involving Wallet Interface, Crypto Currency Interface, and Datastore Interface.
