This section is based on the EOSIO Protocol Guides.

The Protocol documentation describes how the FIO Chain actually works and can be split into two layers. The core which is open source and implemented in C++ and system which is implemented in smart contracts running on the core.

Core

The FIO Core provides the basic building blocks for the system layer and are not implemented as smart contracts. The core implementation is open source and the source code can be customized to suit specific business requirements.

The core protocols are:

• Consensus Protocol
• Transactions Protocol
• Network or Peer to Peer Protocol

System

The FIO Chain is unique in that the features and characteristics of the blockchain built on it are flexible, that is, they can be changed, or be modified completely to suit each business case requirement. Core blockchain features such as fees, account creation and modification, token economics, block producer registration, voting, multi-sig, etc., are implemented inside smart contracts which are deployed on the blockchain built on the FIO Chain. These smart contracts are referred to as system contracts and the layer as the FIO system contracts layer.

FIO implements and maintains a variety of system contracts that implement the business logic of the FIO Protocol.