InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)

Understanding the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)

The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a groundbreaking decentralized and distributed file storage and sharing system. Instead of storing web information on specific servers like traditional methods, IPFS utilizes a system similar to blockchain to store and distribute data.

For example, when you access a Wikipedia page using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), you are directed to a web page stored on one of Wikipedia’s servers. However, with IPFS, accessing the same page through an IPFS Gateway will provide you with an identical result that is distributed from the nearest computer that has previously accessed the page from IPFS.

In essence, IPFS functions as a network of nodes, similar to a blockchain, where information is shared and distributed by the closest available source. As a peer-to-peer (P2P) distributed storage network, IPFS allows users to access content from the nearest peer, which enhances both speed and security.

A significant advantage of IPFS is its use of content addressing to identify requested information. Unlike traditional web access through specific addresses, IPFS relies on content addressing to retrieve relevant data. This approach is similar to searching for a book in a library. Instead of specifying the book’s location, you request it by its title, which represents a content item. IPFS uses relevant content keywords to fetch the desired information, rather than relying on specific storage locations.

IPFS has gained considerable recognition in blockchain projects due to its flexibility and security. It has become an indispensable tool for NFT marketplaces to store information about published works, especially with the growing popularity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).