Frequently asked questions

Sandbox Blockchain is a business and technology platform designed to accelerate the development of innovative solutions, based on Hyperledger Fabric technology. Platform users can test their projects, share knowledge and advance their new blockchain-based solutions to the stage of readiness for implementation. The project will enable sandbox users to quickly prototype applications and test their solutions, also in collaboration with other project participants.

The idea behind Sandbox Blockchain is to streamline identifying the most promising projects, make the potential of new technologies available to any industry and shorten their time to market.

A shared priority of the project partners is to help entrepreneurs design services for diverse customers, including those representing highly regulated industries. Implementing this pioneering project will not only contribute to the growth of the fintech ecosystem, but will also help the market to become more innovative by minimizing the entry barrier for entities using the still not widely popularized blockchain technology.

Sandbox Blockchain is a new technology platform launched thanks to the joint cooperation of KIR, IBM, Chmura Krajowa, PKO Bank Polski, UKNF and Fintech Poland. The initiative is coordinated by the KIR's Digitalization Development Foundation "Cyberium".

Each Platform Partner has a specific role in the project. Learn more about the role of Partners here.

The main goal of the project is to support the development of the innovative ecosystem that promotes usage of  distributed ledger technologies and:

• contributes to making the Polish market more innovative by helping promising entities start their business, i.e. by enabling  their own blockchain-based solutions testing,
• supports innovative projects with  regulatory and compliance know-how related to financial services,
• popularizes blockchain-based solutions and creates a platform for sharing knowledge in this area,
• facilitates the implementation of new blockchain solutions, including but not limited to services designed for the financial sector,
• opens the  cooperation with entities from other countries.

Access to the Platform and using it to test your solutions is free of charge. Sandbox Blockchain does not provide funding for participants to cover the cost of market implementation of their own projects.

The platform is designed as a set of pre-configured, standardized and ready-to-use nodes within a private blockchain network. The components are to be parameterized in such a way that when a new sandbox instance is launched, the initial state of the environment will make it possible to immediately start interacting with the blockchain network.

Accelerators and incubators foster innovation by providing the market with theory and know-how regarding blockchain technology.

Sandbox Blockchain provides access to a ready-made environment in distributed ledger technology, where you can create and test your solutions. It is a virtual environment for verifying the practicality of business ideas.

Sandbox Blockchain provides free access to a full-featured environment where users can create and test their Hyperledger Fabric solutions. Sandbox users will be able to quickly prototype business applications in an environment that simulates a real-world business network, under the guidance and support of experts, without having to build infrastructure or maintain a blockchain environment. It is the first solution of this kind in Poland, which allows developing projects in a standard accepted by both the private and public sector.

Project participants will receive technical support regarding the use of the Sandbox Blockchain platform. In addition, accelerators can provide additional support, such as legal, business, and related to product or service development.

Each accelerator determines its own individual scope of support - details are available on their respective websites.

The testing period on the platform is not expected to exceed 6 months. In special cases, the participant may ask the accelerator to extend the testing period.

Sandbox Blockchain caters to technology companies that are developing blockchain-based products or services. Any legal entity interested in participating in the project, both from Poland and abroad, can apply.

Yes. There are no restrictions as to the number of entries - the submitted project must above all meet the specified criteria.

Participation in Sandbox Blockchain is free of charge, the participant does not incur any fees when using the Platform. 

Yes.

Hyperledger Fabric is an open, scalable, and modular blockchain framework that acts as a foundation for developing blockchain-based business solutions. Hyperledger Fabric is developed as an open-source project under the Apache 2.0 license by a community coordinated by Hyperledger - a non-profit organization. The Hyperledger Fabric protocol architecture helps achieve high performance while maintaining transaction privacy and data distribution control. In addition, Hyperledger Fabric allows defining granular access to data stored in a distributed registry, smart contract functions, and permissions to perform operational activities in the lifecycle of a blockchain-based business network. Thanks to its modular design, Hyperledger Fabric allows developers to write smart contracts in popular programming languages like Golang, Javascript, and Java, and leverage application SDKs for Java and Node.js to quickly connect applications to the blockchain network. Administrators, on the other hand, can manage identities based on standards used in the PKI-CA infrastructure and use APIs to monitor the behavior of network components.

Hyperledger Fabric is one of the most popular blockchain protocols for business, supported by over 260 companies, members of the Hyperledger community. According to a 2020 Forbes study, 24 out of 50 companies, with a combined value of US $1 billion, choose Hyperledger Fabric as its blockchain framework. Companies using this protocol for their business solutions or services include: ING, Amazon, IBM, Baidu, BMW, Citi, Microsoft, Nasdaq, Santander, UBS, Dole, Walmart, GE, T-Mobile, Nestle, Honeywell, HSBC and Tencent opens in a new tab. In addition, Hyperledger Fabric is already supported by over 20 certified service providers accredited by Hyperledger. These include: Accenture, Hitachi, IBM, NEC, SAP, Tech Mahindra, Swisscom and inni. opens in a new tab. Hyperledger Fabric is also successfully used in manufacturing solutions in the CEE region, including by: KIR, Central Securities Depository of Poland (KDPW), Bank of Lithuania, Sberbank, Czech Republic Chamber of Industry, Central Bank of Azerbaijan, Central Bank of Hungary, Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka, PKO Bank Polski, etc.

A Sandbox Blockchain participant should have access to the infrastructure which will be used to implement components that are not part of the Platform's functional scope, but which will be included in the project scope (e.g. frontend application, backend API, authentication servers, document repository, relational database, analytical systems, etc.). In addition, the participant should have adequate knowledge and skills:

• experience with at least one of the following programming languages: Javascript, Java, Golang,
• experience with integrating the application layer with the SDK using at least one of the following:      
  • experience with building data models and business logic (including complex queries on objects and attributes) using key/value databases,
  • experience with programming deterministic business logic,
  • familiarity with the concept and operation of the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain platform,
  • familiarity with the concept and operation of public key infrastructure, including the use of X.509 certificates and ECDSA keys,
  • familiarity with the concept and operation of the GRPC communication protocol, HTTP/2 transport protocol, Gossip data distribution protocol, and TLS encryption protocol.

Sandbox Blockchain provides a number of features that are immediately available to developers and administrators who want to use the blockchain network to build applications and integrate existing IT infrastructure and IT processes. Below are example use cases, from the perspective of the developer and the administrator, which illustrate several available functionalities that use native Hyperledger Fabric features and Blockchain Sandbox tools.

Application and smart contract developer use cases:

Blockchain node operator or administrator use cases: