Conventional cloud storage services are increasingly expensive and do not offer more significant incentives for their users, in addition to reducing the possibilities in data transfer. Also, because they are centralized services, they can be unreliable regarding their ability to preserve the integrity of the data.
Massive and Decentralized Storage of Information
One of the most disruptive applications of active crypto technology is the massive and decentralized storage of information. Decentralization being a concept that has hovered in various areas of communications, business, and social organization, Bitcoin technology presents the world with an option, even in the experimental phase, combining decentralized and permanent records, transparency and security with a system of incentives for the maintenance of the network.
On the other hand, data leakage has been a constant in the history of the internet, so companies or users that handle content that they consider should be protected, are migrating to crypto active networks as an effective and innovative solution for this. If the information gets stored in a single node, there would be the risk of losing it forever if that central base fails.
Blockchain Networks
Thus, various platforms and implementations dedicated to safeguarding the information of those users who do not have enough storage space have decided to place their trust in these protocols. However, we must remember that blockchain platforms are still projects in development, so it is convenient to keep track of them to avoid failures or bad practices that put our data in check.
In these blockchain networks, the information is protected in a shared way by multiple servers located around the world, who keep a copy of the chain of blocks. Also, decentralization allows the client or user to make transactions with your information or even edit it if you have the private keys unique to that record.
Somehow, you can compare these decentralized networks with the torrent services that are so popular to download movies, books, music, and many files. Working with a P2P logic, in the BitTorrent client a large number of users save a file and keep it online available to those who want to download it. The data can get duplicated, modified and distributed endless times.
One of the differences between torrent service and crypto active technology is that the former was not designed with a system of monetary incentives, and the work of those who participate in it are kind.
FileCoin
FileCoin is a cryptocurrency and protocol that works as a solution for data storage. Developed by Protocol Labs, the cryptocurrency is executed on top of the Interplanetary File System, seeking to create new ways to store and share information on the Internet.
However, its difference with web protocols lies in that instead of storing the files in a centralized URL; its routing algorithm allows you to obtain the content from any place or channel that connects to the nodes of your network.
Through a hash address, the content becomes immutable and gets protected against the decisions of third parties who may not want that content to exist or be visible to the public. Also, it allows the user to configure the levels of privacy from making the entire file visible until it is shared promptly with whomever he wishes.
Another advantage that allows the distribution of files through this network is that it is not only a server that stores information, but it gets fragmented between different nodes and users located around the world, independent and separated. In this way, users can rent their spare storage space to safeguard files from third parties and receive a reward for it, obtaining FileCoins for their work.
This operation is common to all the platforms in this list.
SIA
Sia is a protocol that emerged from the HackMIT event in 2013, a student meeting where different types of projects are developed and presented. Officially, Sia was launched in 2015 and also seeks to use the capacity of the memory units to create a decentralized mass storage market powered by the Siacoin currency.
STORJ
Storj is a distributed storage project built on the Ethereum network. It is one of the most popular services of this type, with an active and large community of about 20,000 users and 19,000 guests, which gets reflected in its position as a market leader among all similar projects for mass distributed storage.
SWARM
In the case of Swarm, it is not a blockchain protocol or platform, but rather a technical implementation of Ethereum for data storage. This tool will get activated in conjunction with the Whisper messaging service and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
It should get noted that it is still an implementation in development since Ethereum’s team of collaborators continues to attend to various scalability solutions, so it will progressively come at some point.
MAIDSAFE
Maidsafe is a company established in the United Kingdom in charge of implementing the SAFE Network, a decentralized network that uses the Resource Test as a consensus mechanism to store information.
Given its age, MaidSafe gets distinguished from other crypto projects in having much more time as an enterprise, one of the first to propose decentralization as a key to creating the internet of the future.
In theory, each computer queries a node randomly about the information collected and then disseminates it throughout the network allowing other servers to build an image of what is happening in real time.