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DATABASE.md

CeloHT edited this page Jul 31, 2026 · 1 revision

Database

This document describes the data architecture used by the CeloHT ecosystem.

Although CeloHT is built on the Celo blockchain, not all application data belongs on-chain. The platform uses a hybrid architecture that combines blockchain transparency with secure off-chain storage.


Philosophy

CeloHT follows the principle:

Store on-chain only what benefits from decentralization, immutability, and public verification. Store off-chain only what improves performance, privacy, and user experience.


Architecture

                    Users
                      │
                      ▼
              CeloHT Web Application
                      │
        ┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
        │                           │
        ▼                           ▼
 Smart Contracts             Backend Services
        │                           │
        ▼                           ▼
 Celo Blockchain            PostgreSQL Database
                                     │
                                     ▼
                              Analytics & Reports

On-Chain Data

Stored on the Celo blockchain:

  • Smart contract state
  • Governance proposals
  • Voting results
  • Treasury transactions
  • Certificate verification hashes
  • Agent verification records
  • Environmental impact proofs

Off-Chain Data

Stored in the application database:

  • User profiles
  • Course metadata
  • Educational content
  • Images
  • Videos
  • Notifications
  • Audit logs
  • Analytics
  • Search indexes
  • Cached data

Sensitive personal information should never be stored on-chain.


Database Engine

Recommended production database:

  • PostgreSQL

Development options:

  • PostgreSQL
  • SQLite

Data Models

Main entities include:

  • Users
  • Agents
  • Courses
  • Certificates
  • Programs
  • Communities
  • Events
  • Reforestation Campaigns
  • Governance Proposals
  • Partners
  • Donations
  • Reports

Security

Database security includes:

  • Encryption at rest
  • Encryption in transit
  • Role-based access control
  • Daily backups
  • Audit logging
  • Automatic updates
  • Input validation

Backups

Recommended backup policy:

  • Daily backups
  • Weekly full backups
  • Monthly archive backups
  • Disaster recovery testing

Backups should be encrypted and stored in multiple secure locations.


Privacy

CeloHT is committed to protecting user privacy.

Personal information should:

  • Be collected only when necessary.
  • Be securely stored.
  • Never be sold.
  • Be deleted upon legitimate request, where applicable.

Performance

Performance optimizations include:

  • Indexed queries
  • Query caching
  • Pagination
  • Connection pooling
  • Read optimization
  • Efficient schema design

Analytics

Analytics may include:

  • Active users
  • Course completion
  • Agent activity
  • Community growth
  • Reforestation statistics
  • Governance participation
  • Platform performance

Analytics should never compromise user privacy.


Logging

Application logs may include:

  • Authentication events
  • API requests
  • Errors
  • Security events
  • Smart contract interactions
  • System health

Logs should be retained according to the project's retention policy.


Disaster Recovery

Recovery procedures should include:

  • Automated backups
  • Backup verification
  • Database replication
  • Recovery testing
  • Incident documentation

Future Improvements

Planned enhancements include:

  • Read replicas
  • High availability
  • Distributed caching
  • Data warehouse
  • Real-time analytics
  • AI-powered reporting
  • IPFS integration for decentralized file storage

Guiding Principle

The CeloHT data architecture is designed to balance:

  • Security
  • Transparency
  • Privacy
  • Scalability
  • Reliability
  • Performance

This hybrid approach enables CeloHT to deliver a secure, efficient, and community-focused platform while leveraging the strengths of both blockchain and traditional database technologies.

Welcome to the official CeloHT documentation. This knowledge base provides comprehensive documentation for users, developers, contributors, partners, researchers, and ecosystem participants. Explore architecture, APIs, smart contracts, developer guides, governance, security, educational resources, roadmap, transparency reports, and community initiatives. Built with openness, collaboration, and long-term sustainability in mind, the CeloHT documentation follows international open-source documentation standards to make learning, building, and contributing accessible to everyone.

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