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It is now publicly available as open source.
SimBlock allows a user to simulate a blockchain network consisting of a large number of nodes (servers), and modify behavior of the nodes to test effects on performance and security. Users can simulate the impact of changes to an existing blockchain, such as Bitcoin, or to a blockchain of their own design.
Blockchain was first implemented for cryptocurrency, serving as the basis of the Bitcoin network, which began operating in 2009. But now other potential applications are being found in areas such as resource and rights management, product (e.g., food) traceability, voting, and business process automation.
These days, a number of conferences on blockchain technology are held, including IEEE ICBC, CryBlock, and IEEE Blockchain. Yet despite the activity in the field, it has been almost impossible to test improvements on a real-world blockchain network. Such an experiment requires updating the software of all nodes, which is not practical for a working network due to the risk of causing disruptions. Even in cases where a blockchain has a problem that needs fixing, testing the fix may be difficult, as it could break something else.
A blockchain simulator called SimBlock
Shudo and colleagues developed SimBlock, which can simulate behavior of about 10,000 nodes on the Internet using a single typical PC. The software, which was made open source in July 2018, allows engineers to test improvements on an existing or original blockchain, or even simulate malicious nodes and measure success rates of attack, then apply countermeasures to test its effects.