BlockFood

Architecture

Overview

All users will access the platform using BlockFood Applications, with two declinations: mobile application and web application. Those front end interfaces will interact with the platform using BlockFood API, which will handle all aspects of the core of the platform (users, content, administration, ...).

The API will communicate with dedicated micro-services: Blockchain workers service and Wallet service.

Blockchain workers will handle the communication with the Ethereum blockchain.

The Wallet service will have the responsibility to handle all wallets from the platforms users.

The platform will also be accessible to third parties to create alternative applications.

BlockFood Applications

Every actors accessing the platform will access it either through the official BlockFood applications or with any alternative applications developed by third-parties (see the "Third-party developers" below).

The BlockFood applications will be available:

Mobile-platform dedicated applications: iOS, Android
Web application accessible through a web browser on any platform

All BlockFood applications will share most of their logic and visual components using modern front-end development techniques.

See the "Features" section below for more information on the content of the applications.

BlockFood API

The BlockFood API is at the heart of the BlockFood platform. It is the crucial link between any application from the ecosystem and the Ethereum BlockChain.

It will handle every objects and methods of the BlockFood platforms: users, restaurants, menus, couriers, localization, transaction entry point, security, ...

Scalability and availability are important characteristics for the API. It will be built with these characteristics in mind, using modern on-the-fly deployment strategies with scalable containers. Most API components will be stateless in order to achieve maximum simplicity and resilience.
BlockFood Wallet

A key aspect of BlockFood platform is to ease the use of crypto currency for all of its users. While the whole smart contract system will be usable without BlockFood Wallet, an integrated wallet will be offered to BlockFood user to simplify their interactions with the pltaform.

Security in a wallet system is crucial and it will be the main preoccupation while building BlockFood wallet. To achieve maximum security, BlockFood will not be able to access wallet without the user passphrase.

The benefit is to keep the wallet close to the user while preserving security. The downside of this solution is that because we will not store the passphrase the wallet can be lost if the user forgets its passphrase.

BlockFood Blockchain workers

The BlockChain workers service will act as an interface with the Ethereum blockchain, dedicated to the interactions with BlockFood smart contracts. They will help the rest of the system to keep track of smart contracts updates.

Third-party developers

One core value of the Open Sharing Economy foundation is its openness. Opening our platform to external services is important in this aspect. Most current companies have closed the boundaries of their system in order to control it and keep their users locked.

We believe competition in the application area is crucial. It pushes ideas to their maximum and encourages all actors to give their best to give users the best possible experience. But unfortunately, every closed system that have locked their users slows evolution down which in the end, impacts the users negatively.

Third-party developers will be given the opportunity to create innovative applications relying on the BlockFood platform, by being able to use BlockFood API for free.

This could lead, for instance, to:

• Local applications: country-specific, city-specific, ...
• Diet-specific applications: gluten-free, vegan, meat-lover, kosher, halal, ...
• Event-dedicated applications: conferences, competitions, meet-up, ...

Once the BlockFood API reaches a maturation point in production, a contest will be organized to encourage developers to innovate by creating the most creative applications.