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[nerdberg792]

Initial implementation of a CLI-based blockchain node

Description

This pull request introduces the initial version of simple-btc-cli, a simplified, educational blockchain network built with TypeScript and Node.js. The project provides a hands-on demonstration of core blockchain concepts, including public/private key cryptography, proof-of-work, peer-to-peer communication, and transaction validation.

The system is composed of three main components:

1. Central Server (central-server.ts): A lightweight WebSocket server that acts as a message relay hub, allowing all miners to broadcast messages to each other.
2. Miner Node (miner.ts): The core of the network. Each miner runs a node that maintains a copy of the blockchain, validates new transactions and blocks, performs proof-of-work (mining), and communicates with peers via the central server. It also exposes an HTTP API for wallet interactions.
3. CLI Wallet (wallet-cli.ts): A command-line interface for users to interact with the blockchain. It allows users to create a wallet, check their balance, and send funds.

This initial implementation establishes a fully functional, albeit simplified, blockchain ecosystem, providing a solid foundation for further exploration and feature development.

How to Set Up and Run

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or later)
• npm

1. Installation

First, clone the repository and install the required dependencies:

git clone <repository-url>
cd simple-btc-cli
npm install

2. Build the Project

Compile the TypeScript source code into JavaScript for production use:

npm run build

This command creates a dist directory containing the compiled code.

3. Start the Network

The network requires at least two components to be running: the central server and one miner. Open three separate terminal windows in the project root.

• Terminal 1: Start the Central Server

  npm run start:central

• Terminal 2: Start a Miner Node

  npm run start:miner

  (To simulate a larger network, you can start additional miners in new terminals with npm run start:miner -- <port> <reward_address>)

4. Using the CLI Wallet

• Terminal 3: Interact with the Wallet

All wallet commands are executed via the wallet:prod script.

• Create a Wallet:

  npm run wallet -- create

  This generates a wallet.json file containing your public and private keys.

• Check Balance:

  npm run wallet -- balance

• Send Coins:
  The sender is implicitly the wallet defined in wallet.json.

  npm run wallet -- send <RECIPIENT_PUBLIC_KEY> <AMOUNT>

• Tell the Miner to Mine a Block:
  This processes all pending transactions.

  npm run wallet -- mine