TigerBeetle is a distributed financial accounting database designed for high-volume transaction processing. It functions as a specialized transaction engine that enforces strict double-entry bookkeeping invariants, ensuring that every debit and credit is balanced and accounted for with absolute consistency. By utilizing a consensus-based replication model, the system provides high availability and data durability across geographically distributed clusters, making it suitable for mission-critical financial infrastructure.
The system distinguishes itself through a performance-oriented architecture that prioritizes deterministic execution and low latency. It employs a single-threaded state machine to eliminate lock contention and uses static memory allocation to avoid garbage collection pauses. To maintain integrity, it records all operations in an immutable, append-only audit log and uses 128-bit integers for currency to ensure precise arithmetic. The engine supports complex financial workflows, including atomic currency exchanges and two-phase commit protocols, which allow for the reservation and settlement of funds without risking data inconsistencies.
Beyond its core processing capabilities, the platform includes robust operational primitives for managing the full lifecycle of financial data. It provides native language drivers for client integration, supports real-time ledger data streaming for external auditing, and offers tools for monitoring performance metrics and request latency. The system is designed for resilience, featuring automated failover, replica recovery, and rolling upgrade procedures that allow for continuous operation even during hardware or network failures.
The project provides comprehensive documentation and native client libraries to facilitate integration into existing financial systems. It is configured to run on high-performance storage infrastructure, including local NVMe drives and raw block devices, to maximize throughput.
