Quorum is a fork of [go-ethereum](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum) and is updated in line with go-ethereum releases.
Key enhancements over go-ethereum:
* __Privacy__ - Quorum supports private transactions and private contracts through public/private state separation and utilising [Constellation](https://github.com/jpmorganchase/constellation), a peer-to-peer encrypted message exchange for directed transfer of private data to network participants
* __Alternative Consensus Mechanisms__ - with no need for POW/POS in a permissioned network, Quorum instead offers multiple consensus mechanisms that are more appropriate for consortium chains:
* __QuorumChain__ - a new smart-contract based, majority voting consensus model
* __Raft-based Consensus__ - a consensus model for faster blocktimes, transaction finality, and on-demand block creation
* __Peer Permissioning__ - node/peer permissioning using smart contracts, ensuring only known parties can join the network
The above diagram is a high-level overview of the privacy architecture used by Quorum. For more in-depth discussion of the components, refer to the [wiki](https://github.com/jpmorganchase/quorum/wiki/) pages.
The quickest way to get started with Quorum is using [VirtualBox](https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads) and [Vagrant](https://www.vagrantup.com/downloads.html):
Now that you have a fully-functioning Quorum environment set up, let's run the 7-node cluster example. This will spin up several nodes with a mix of voters, block makers, and unprivileged nodes.
We now have a 7-node Quorum cluster with a [private smart contract](https://github.com/jpmorganchase/quorum-examples/blob/master/examples/7nodes/script1.js) (SimpleStorage) sent from `node 1` "for" `node 7` (denoted by the public key passed via `privateFor: ["ROAZBWtSacxXQrOe3FGAqJDyJjFePR5ce4TSIzmJ0Bc="]` in the `sendTransaction` call).
Documentation detailing steps to demonstrate the privacy features of Quorum can be found in [quorum-examples/7nodes/README](https://github.com/jpmorganchase/quorum-examples/tree/master/examples/7nodes/README.md).
The following Quorum-related libraries/applications have been created by Third Parties and as such are not specifically endorsed by J.P. Morgan. A big thanks to the developers for improving the tooling around Quorum!
* [Quorum-Genesis](https://github.com/davebryson/quorum-genesis) - A simple CL utility for Quorum to help populate the genesis file with voters and makers
Quorum is built on open source and we invite you to contribute enhancements. Upon review you will be required to complete a Contributor License Agreement (CLA) before we are able to merge. If you have any questions about the contribution process, please feel free to send an email to [quorum_info@jpmorgan.com](mailto:quorum_info@jpmorgan.com).