Backend

Role: Indexer Only

The backend is a pure indexer. It reads events from the IOTA blockchain and caches them in SQLite for fast querying. It does not sign transactions or hold user private keys. The only wallet the server holds is for the faucet (dispensing test tokens).

Key Components

File	Description
`api/utility/ForumManager.js`	Syncs blockchain events to SQLite, uses `eventAuthor` (verified on-chain)
`api/utility/iota.js`	IOTA SDK wrapper: query events, subscribe to new events
`api/utility/db.js`	SQLite schema definition and model factory
`api/controllers/`	REST API controllers (read-only + faucet)
`config/bootstrap.js`	Server initialization: wallet, sync, polling

ForumManager

ForumManager.processTransaction() is the core indexing function. When processing events:

It reads the eventAuthor field from the blockchain event, which is verified on-chain by IOTA validators
It ignores any data.authorId from the event payload to prevent impersonation
It decompresses gzipped data and stores structured records in SQLite

SQLite Schema

The database is a rebuildable cache — it can be fully reconstructed by replaying blockchain events.

Table	Contents
`users`	Registered users with roles and profiles
`threads`	Forum threads with metadata
`posts`	Thread replies and content
`votes`	Upvotes and downvotes
`tips`	Tip records (sender, recipient, amount)
`escrows`	Escrow state (parties, amounts, status)
`reputations`	Trade ratings and reputation scores
`badges`	Badge ownership and configuration

REST API

All read endpoints serve cached data from SQLite. Write operations return 410 Gone — all writes happen directly on-chain.

See the API Reference for the full endpoint list.

Event Tags

The backend processes events based on their tag:

Tag	Source Function	Min. Role
`FORUM_USER`	`register()`	None
`FORUM_THREAD`	`post_event()`	USER
`FORUM_POST`	`post_event()`	USER
`FORUM_VOTE`	`post_event()`	USER
`FORUM_CATEGORY`	`mod_post_event()`	MODERATOR
`FORUM_MODERATION`	`mod_post_event()`	MODERATOR
`FORUM_ROLE`	`admin_post_event()`	ADMIN
`FORUM_CONFIG`	`admin_post_event()`	ADMIN
`FORUM_TIP`	On-chain event	USER
`FORUM_SUBSCRIPTION`	On-chain event	USER
`FORUM_PURCHASE`	On-chain event	USER
`FORUM_BADGE`	On-chain event	USER
`FORUM_ESCROW_CREATED`	On-chain event	USER
`FORUM_ESCROW_UPDATED`	On-chain event	USER
`FORUM_RATING`	On-chain event	USER