IPFS
IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a peer-to-peer network protocol and distributed file system designed to create a more resilient, open, and decentralized web by addressing content by its unique hash rather than its location. It aims to replace or complement the traditional client-server HTTP…
Key facts
- First appeared
- 2014
- Category
- technology
- Problem solved
- IPFS solves the problem of content addressability and decentralization that the traditional HTTP model struggles with. It ensures data persistence, censorship resistance, and efficient data retrieval by allowing any node on the network to host and retrieve content, eliminating single points of failure and the reliance on centralized servers. This contrasts with HTTP's location-based addressing, which is prone to link rot, censorship, and inefficient content delivery.
- Platforms
- Mobile operating systems (via mobile SDKs), Linux, Windows, macOS, Web browsers (via js-ipfs and browser extensions)
Related technologies
Notable users
- Pinata (IPFS pinning service)
- Brave Browser
- Many decentralized applications (dApps) across various blockchains
- Protocol Labs (developer of IPFS & Filecoin)
- Opera Browser
- Fleek (Web3 development platform)
- Audius (decentralized music streaming)
- OpenSea (for NFT metadata)
- DTube (decentralized video platform)
- Cloudflare