Ouroboros is a peer-to-peer
packet network prototype. It unifies all packet communications
–whether it is two programs the same machine or a set of programs in
computers on different continents – using a small set of
abstractions, which we call layers and flows. The
Ouroboros architecture improves security, privacy and efficiency
through simplicity. It provides a very
compact API for writing distributed software and networked
application libraries, with support for both unicast
and multicast communications. Being rebuilt from the ground up,
Ouroboros is not directly compatible with IP or UNIX sockets, but it
can run on top of and/or below UDP/IP and Ethernet.