# Overview

Circular Protocol is built on a few simple but powerful primitives: certificates, accounts, chains, keys, and data. Together, these form the foundation for a secure, decentralized system purpose-built for regulated industries like healthcare, pharma, and public infrastructure.

This section explains the essential building blocks of the protocol, how data is issued, verified, shared, and governed, and how each part works together to deliver trust, compliance, and interoperability by design.

### What You’ll Learn in This Section

* Certificates – Verifiable, tamper-proof records that prove something happened and hasn’t changed
* Accounts – Unique identities that issue, sign, or own data and assets within the protocol
* Private Chains – Isolated ledgers that let institutions or workflows operate independently with full control
* Data Management – How Circular handles metadata, versioning, and sensitive content without centralization
* Fees – A lightweight system to prevent spam and enable predictable, cost-efficient usage
* Nodes – The infrastructure that maintains consensus and availability across Circular’s network
* Private Keys & Recovery – How access is secured, delegated, and restored when needed\


Each concept is explained in plain terms, with examples, diagrams (where relevant), and links to implementation details. Whether you’re an enterprise architect or a curious developer, this section will give you the foundation to understand how Circular works under the hood — and why it matters.



## Core Concepts Quick Links

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Certificates</td><td><a href="certificates">certificates</a></td></tr><tr><td>Accounts</td><td><a href="../accounts">accounts</a></td></tr><tr><td>Private Chains</td><td><a href="../private-chains">private-chains</a></td></tr><tr><td>Data Management</td><td><a href="../data-management">data-management</a></td></tr><tr><td>Fees</td><td><a href="../fees">fees</a></td></tr><tr><td>Nodes</td><td><a href="../nodes">nodes</a></td></tr><tr><td>Private Keys</td><td><a href="../private-keys">private-keys</a></td></tr><tr><td>Recovery Phrases</td><td><a href="../recovery-phrases">recovery-phrases</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
