Learn the basics of decentralised storage and why you need it

The current state of the internet is a risky environment to overshare personal data. Central authorities control them and use them to give you targeted ads. Likewise, a bad actor can steal these data and use them either to track your activities or to steal your identity. Decentralised data storage can protect you from all of these dangers online. 

Decentralised storage is one of the newest Web3 trends. The technology needs more time to develop but there are already a handful of working platforms. Among the best providers are Binance Coin (BNB) and Filecoin (FIL). It’s still new to Web3 but these services are already available to the public. 

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How does decentralised storage work?

The way decentralised storage works is similar to how blockchain handles cryptocurrencies. Your data is uploaded to the network, broken down into segments, and then distributed to different nodes or computers. Each segment is also encrypted, making them not only hard to track but also almost impossible to read. 

If you need this data again, then the network will retrieve all the pieces, reassemble them, and decrypt them to be readable for you. Decentralised data storage requires a fee paid to the nodes who are tasked to keep your data. That’s where the native currency of the technology comes into play. This is the crypto you pay for their services on the network. 

What is centralised storage in contrast to decentralised storage?

To better understand what is decentralised storage, it would be better to compare it to what it seeks to replace. That would be centralised storage, the current model that the internet uses today. All data uploaded to the World Wide Web is stored in servers owned by major companies.

This is how companies like Facebook and Google have the right to use your data for profit. They sell these data to companies so that they can curate the ads you see no matter what website you visit. However, this allows for internet technology to remain free for public use. Servers are maintained and funded by the companies that control them.

Which is better—centralised or decentralised storage?

In the past, many people appreciated the way centralised storage worked. The job of maintaining the internet was left only to the handful of corporations that hold the servers that run the internet. Nowadays, technology has advanced quite significantly in the public users’ favour. Everybody can now participate in maintaining the internet in a way that keeps data private. 

With that in mind, the decentralised storage system is leagues better than the centralised model. This way, the owner of the data gets to have 100% control over it. No centralised body will dictate the contents you see so that also means censorship will be limited or eliminated. This is the structure Web3 can provide and it’s an appealing ecosystem for all users alike. 

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Examples of decentralised storage network vendors

There are already plenty of decentralised file storage providers online. All of them use their own technology and formula for how this works for their users. Here are some of the best examples available right now:

• BitTorrent File System (BTFS): Credited as the first scalable decentralised storage system, it’s an open storage network that uses hybrid encryption technology for private file sharing and storage.
• Filecoin: This is a blockchain-backed open protocol that records commitments that network participants made with users. It is the contract that proves their services and determines how users pay nodes that keep their data. 
• BNB Greenfield: Operates in tandem with the Binance main network and uses it to store and distribute data. It is more advanced than the other two in the way that BNB Greenfield is built for Web3 use as the foundation for services like social media.
   

What are the benefits of decentralised storage?

Decentralised data storage is exciting for many reasons. Here are the top three key advantages  that you can benefit from using this technology:

Encryption protects users’ privacy

The current centralised data storage has terribly faulty security. People can hack into these servers and retrieve people’s personal information. This has led to many people revealing each other’s locations and home addresses in an online practice called ‘doxxing’. It’s a concern for personal security and safety that decentralised storage can effectively discontinue. 

Irreversible transaction so ownership is finalised

Data manipulation is a major concern because people who have access to key information can alter it. This can be done either to support a false alibi or to get out of a commitment that two parties already signed into. Centralised storage also made it easy for people to breach into accounts and steal ownership of assets. 

Decentralised storage built on blockchains has immutable transactions. Current and past owners are part of a piece of data’s unique makeup so people can track true owners and the network verifies its legitimacy. This also means that in the event of a theft, people can’t reverse it but they can track who took it. Thus, there is hard evidence to be used for persecution. 

Reliable storage with no point of failure

The true beauty of blockchain technology lies in its fundamental structure. Traditional networks only branch outwards from the central hub but blockchain treats every node equally and they can connect to each other independently. Any of these nodes can disconnect from the network but transactions will continue because data can simply reroute to other nodes. 

Use decentralised storage in your business

Decentralised storage is fully accessible to the public. You can use them for your online business, especially if you plan on using other Web3 features. If you’re using Web3 features, then you should be more familiar with cryptocurrencies. These are digital money that you can use for almost everything including products and services rendered. You can also use them to play games at Gamdom. It has plenty of utility in the rapidly developing Web3 economy and decentralised storage is one example. 

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