Holochain
Integrated P2P RuntimeFramework for building distributed P2P apps
Fully P2P Foundation Low capture risk
Links
Details
License CAL-1.0
Dev Status Released
Owner Holochain Foundation (co-founded by Arthur Brock and Eric Harris-Braun)
Country Gibraltar
Start Year 2016
Stack Rust
Funding VC, ICO
Last Investigated Mar 10, 2026
Integrated P2P Runtime Attributes
P2P Architecture Agent-centric DHT with validating monotonic hash chains
Overlay Network App-wide (each hApp has its own network)
Content Addressing Yes (hash-based)
Local-First Yes (agent-centric architecture)
E2EE Yes (each app creates encrypted P2P network)
CRDTs Lib N/A (not CRDT-based, uses source chains + validation)
Byzantine Fault Tolerance Yes (via peer validation)
Signature Cryptographic signatures (based on public key)
Permissions Cryptographic Capabilities + ACL
Semantic Web Compatability Links (not RDF/semantic web standard)
Smart Contract Yes (validation rules/zomes)
Protocol Stack Position Application-layer (built on TCP/IP)
Asset / Value Embedding Native — HOT (HoloToken) is the ERC-20 bridging token used to purchase hosting credits on the Holo network; once redeemed, credits convert to HoloFuel (HOF), the mutual-credit accounting currency native to the Holochain/Holo ecosystem. HOT/HOF is specific to the Holo hosting layer rather than to the core Holochain protocol, which itself is tokenless; individual hApps may define their own asset models.
Development Tools hc-scaffold CLI (rapid application development scaffolding with templates for vanilla, Vue, Lit, Svelte, React, and headless — generates back-end, UI, and test boilerplate); hc CLI (bundles, tests, and runs hApps); Holonix (Nix-based reproducible development shell environment for macOS and Linux); Tryorama (Node.js-based test framework for unit and end-to-end multi-party tests); Holochain Rust SDK (HDK — Holochain Development Kit for writing integrity and coordinator zomes in Rust compiled to WASM); holochain-client-js and holochain-client-rust (client libraries); Holo Web SDK; DevHub (hApp for distributing packages via App Store); Launcher (end-user runtime for installing/running hApps); Holochain Open Dev (reusable building blocks: user profiles, blob storage, time/keyword indexing); p2p Shipyard by darksoil studio (Tauri+Nix tool for redistributable desktop/Android runtimes); electron-holochain-template; Moss (groupware with Weave interoperability pattern)
Deployment Options Self-hosted conductor (local Holochain runtime on user's device); Holo hosting network (cloud-hosted hApps via HoloPorts for web users without Holochain installed); Holochain Launcher (desktop app store for installing/running hApps); standalone Tauri-based desktop apps via p2p Shipyard (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android); Electron-based apps via template; Moss groupware (group-based deployment with interoperable tools); web-hApp bundles (.webhapp files combining backend DNA + web UI for distribution)
Authentication & Identity Agent-centric cryptographic identity — each agent identified by Ed25519 public key (AgentPubKey); new keypair generated per app installation; private key signs all network communications and source chain actions; DeepKey (core hApp for Distributed Public Key Infrastructure / DPKI): manages keysets across apps and devices, KeysetRoot (KSR) via one-time throwaway keypair, key registration/replacement/revocation, M-of-N multisignature revocation rules, multi-device keyset management, derivation details for key recovery from master seed; Lair secure keystore integration; capability tokens for fine-grained function-level authorization; app entry requirements fully customizable (open access to arbitrary verification); no centralized identity authority
Storage Model Agent-centric dual storage: (1) Source chain — each agent maintains their own local append-only hash chain of signed actions and entries (personal tamper-evident ledger); (2) DHT (Distributed Hash Table) — shared validation and availability layer where entries are distributed to validation authorities based on content-address proximity; app entries are deduplicated on DHT but individual agents' writes distinguished by their signed actions; private entries remain on source chain only; data validated by peers according to integrity zome rules before acceptance into DHT; content-addressed via hashing; no global ledger or consensus mechanism
Interoperability How (Holochain application for converging on interoperability standards among hApps); bridging between cells/DNAs within a conductor for cross-app data access; hREA/ValueFlows for economic network coordination; Syn library for real-time collaborative tools; attestations library for W3C verifiable credentials; composable DNA architecture (mix-and-match existing DNAs as microservices); Moss Weave pattern for group tool interoperability and cross-app data embedding; Holo Web SDK for web integration; no native federation with non-Holochain protocols (ActivityPub, Matrix, etc.)
Social Graph Agent-centric (no built-in social graph at protocol level; social relationships implemented per-app via links between AgentPubKeys on DHT); Holochain Open Dev provides reusable profiles building block; DeepKey provides cross-app agent continuity via unified keyset identity; capability tokens enable selective relationship-based access grants; each app's DHT is its own peer network — social graph emerges from app participation and linking patterns rather than being a protocol primitive
Protocol Maturity / Standardization Proprietary Open Standard (published protocol specifications for DHT, validation, agent-centric architecture; Holochain Foundation governed)