Decentralized Data Storage Protocols: IPFS, Filecoin, and More.
The storage and sharing of information on the internet is transforming with decentralized data storage protocols. In conventional system, majority of the data is stored on central servers which belong to large corporations. Data can be lost or controlled in the event such servers fail, are hacked or censored.
Another method is known as decentralized storage where the data is distributed among numerous computers all over the globe. I consider this concept to be strong as it allows users to have control over their own data.
InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is one of the most common decentralized storage systems. IPFS does not store files on a single place. It does not, but rather segments files and transmits them through a network of nodes. Every file receives a different cryptographic hash and it can be easily located and confirmed.
The system enhances faster speeds, the minimization of duplication and the resistance of data to censorship. I also appreciate the fact that IPFS is more concerned with the content and not the place of the content, unlike the normal web.
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Filecoin is an economic extension of IPFS. Whereas IPFS assists in data storage and retrieval, Filecoin offers incentives. It provides the option of paying storage providers to store user data. These providers are rewarded by demonstrating that they are storing the data properly with time.
This establishes a storage market in which the trust is substituted with cryptographic evidence. I think that, this model promotes long-term and faithful information storage on a decentralized basis.
Outside of IPFS and Filecoin, there are a large number of other decentralized storage protocols emerging. Such examples are Arweave that aims at permanent data storage and Storj that ensures user data protection with the usage of encryption and distributed nodes.
These initiatives will address various issues including durability of data, privacy and affordability. The two of them demonstrate that decentralized storage is not a one-size-fits-all solution but a developing ecosystem.
To sum up, the future of the internet is being transformed by decentralized data storage protocols. They are more secure, free to censorship and data owned by the users. I am sure that these technologies will contribute significantly to the creation of an open, fair and resilient digital world now that these technologies are still progressing.