Tendermint
Tendermint is a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus engine and blockchain application platform that enables developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) and custom blockchains. It provides a modular architecture where the consensus layer (Tendermint Core) handles networking and consensus, while the application layer (built with the Application Blockchain Interface, ABCI) defines the business logic. This separation allows for high-performance, secure, and scalable blockchain development without requiring deep expertise in consensus algorithms.
Developers should learn Tendermint when building custom blockchains or dApps that require high throughput, finality, and interoperability, such as in finance, supply chain, or governance systems. It's particularly useful for projects needing a BFT consensus mechanism with fast transaction finality (typically 1-3 seconds) and integration with the Cosmos ecosystem for cross-chain communication via the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. Use cases include creating sovereign blockchains, enterprise solutions, or interoperable networks where security and performance are critical.