These services are used to provide access control capability for the users of the fabric network.
The following list shows the functions that membership services perform: User identity verification User registration Assign appropriate permissions to the users depending on their roles Membership services make use of a certificate authority in order to support identity management and authorization operations.
How Membership Services Manage Identity and Access
This CA can be internal (Fabric CA), which is a default interface in Hyperledger Fabric or organization can opt to use an external certificate authority.
Fabric CA issues enrollment certificates (E-Certs), which are produced by enrollment certificate authority (E-CA).
Once peers are issued with an identity, they are allowed to join the blockchain network.
There are also temporary certificates issued called T- Certs, which are used for one-time transactions.
All peers and applications are identified using certificate authority.
Authentication service is provided by the certificate authority.
Why This Matters for Blockchain Technology
MSPs can also interface with existing identity services like LDAP.
Key Points to Remember
- Membership services These services are used to provide access control capability for the users of the fabric network.
- This CA can be internal (Fabric CA), which is a default interface in Hyperledger Fabric or organization can opt to use an external certificate authority.
- Fabric CA issues enrollment certificates (E-Certs), which are produced by enrollment certificate authority (E-CA).
- Once peers are issued with an identity, they are allowed to join the blockchain network.
Conclusion
Membership services represents one of the many innovative layers that make blockchain technology so powerful and transformative. As distributed systems continue to evolve, a solid understanding of these core concepts becomes increasingly valuable — not just for developers, but for anyone building, investing in, or working alongside blockchain-powered systems.
Whether you are just starting your blockchain journey or deepening existing expertise, mastering these fundamentals gives you the tools to think clearly about decentralized systems and make smarter decisions in this rapidly evolving space.