Hyperledger Sawtooth: A gentle introduction

Hyperledger Sawtooth is an open-source project designed for enterprise-level blockchain applications, providing a blockchain-as-a-service platform that allows for the execution of customized smart contracts without needing in-depth knowledge of the system's core design. It supports various consensus algorithms, including Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT), Proof of Elapsed Time (PoET), and Raft, each offering different approaches to managing blockchain performance and security. Sawtooth's flexibility allows developers to write custom transaction processors in any language, enabling complex interactions directly at the transaction level rather than through smart contracts, and it facilitates experimenting with different consensus algorithms through its dev mode. This adaptability makes Sawtooth suitable for diverse blockchain configurations, allowing enterprises to tailor their blockchain systems to specific needs while ensuring efficient and secure operations.