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Hyperledger Besu · EVM-compatible enterprise chain (evolved form of Quorum)

Confidence: Certain Updated 2026-05-26 Review by 2026-09-22 Sources 1 Machine-translated Original (JA)
#systems#blockchain#evm#private-chain#hyperledger#besu
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This entry sits under systems index. Read it against Canton Network overview · privacy-oriented institutional chain for DAML smart contracts for peer / contrast context and fintech index for the broader system / regulatory boundary.

[!info] TL;DR Hyperledger Besu is an EVM-compatible enterprise permissioned chain led by ConsenSys, and its predecessor is Quorum (a Geth fork), which JPMorgan launched in 2015 年. It was sold in 2020-08 and integrated into Hyperledger. JPM keeps its own fork and continues to modify it; in 2024-11 it renamed the internal chain Kinexys Chain, and it remains one of the top 5 contributors by monthly Besu commits.

Key facts

  • Quorum 1.0 was open-sourced in 2017-05 ; JPM sold it to ConsenSys in 2020-08 and it was integrated into Besu
  • The internal Quorum fork was renamed Kinexys Chain (formerly Onyx Chain) in 2024-11
  • Consensus is IBFT (Istanbul BFT) · JPM internal 9 validators (5 regions + 4 backup)
  • 2 -second block production · instant finality in a single block · customers pay no gas (JPM bears it)
  • Privacy layer Constellation: ZK private transaction pool · only txHash + metadata are on-chain
  • Supports EIP-2612 permit + EIP-3009 transferWithAuthorization · EIP-7708 is not supported

Mechanism / How it works

Besu is a fully EVM-compatible permissioned chain: Solidity contracts can migrate directly, and toolchains (Hardhat / Foundry / web3.js) require no modification. The consensus layer uses IBFT rather than PoW/PoS, and can activate BFT-style finality when there are 4 or more validators. The privacy layer Constellation is a ZK-based private transaction subsystem; payloads are transferred directly between validators through P2P encryption, and only txHash + timestamp remain on-chain. This realizes “selective private transactions on a permissioned chain.” JPM’s 9 node configuration on Kinexys Chain covers 5 regions + 4 backup, making it a typical deployment pattern for Besu in G-SIB scenarios.

Origin & evolution

2015 年 JPM started Quorum · based on a Geth fork. 2017-05 Quorum 1.0 was open-sourced. In 2018-2020 年, JPM tried to commercialize Quorum but failed · in 2020-08 it was sold to ConsenSys and integrated into Hyperledger Besu (Linux Foundation governance). JPM simultaneously kept its own fork and continued modifying it · in 2024-11 it renamed its internal chain from Onyx Chain to Kinexys Chain (JPMD is the current currency leg). The Linux Foundation established the “Decentralized Trust” foundation in 2025 年 and took over Hyperledger governance, but JPM remains a core member. When G-SIBs such as Citi / HSBC / BNP build new private chains, Besu remains the default option — this is the network effect of EVM compatibility (in contrast to chain selection in cross-G-SIB multi-CBDC pilots such as BIS Agora).

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