title: BigChainDB - What exactly is that?
body: <p>I understand that the BigChainDB is a distributed DB at the basic level.
  It claims that is solves the problem of Scalability in the BlockChain world. What i don't understand is that how it fits into the overall block chain architecture.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <ol>
    <li><p>In the typical Block Chain world, each node has the full copy of the
    data and validates any new transactions? How does this work in the
    BigChain DB when the data is distributed? Each node validates only the
    blocks that it holds? Even if thats the case, it needs the entire
    chain? Not clear on the processing scalability here.</p></li>
    <li><p>Can i build a block chain network just with the BigChainDB or do i
    need something like Ethereum or Hyperledger to build the block chain
    network itself?</p></li>
    <li><p>If i can build the blockchain network with BigChainDB, then what is
    the equivalent of smart contract in BigChainDB?</p></li>
    </ol>
  </blockquote>