InterPlanetary File System
Content-addressable, peer-to-peer hypermedia distribution protocol / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a protocol, hypermedia and file sharing peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing data in a distributed file system. By using content-addressing, IPFS uniquely identifies each file in a global namespace that connects IPFS hosts, creating a resilient system of file storage and sharing.[4][5]
Original author(s) | Juan Benet and Protocol Labs[1] |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Protocol Labs |
Initial release | February 2015 (y)[1] |
Stable release | |
Repository | github |
Written in | |
Available in | Go, JavaScript, Python |
Type | |
License | MIT license, Apache license 2.0 |
Website | ipfs.tech |
IPFS allows users to host and receive content in a manner similar to BitTorrent. As opposed to a centrally located server, IPFS is built around a decentralized system of user-operators who hold a portion of the overall data. Any user in the network can serve a file by its content address, and other peers in the network can find and request that content from any node who has it using a distributed hash table (DHT).[6]
In contrast to traditional location-based protocols like HTTP and HTTPS, IPFS uses content-based addressing to provide a decentralized alternative for distributing the World Wide Web.[5][7][8]
IPFS is widely used in decentralized applications, scientific data sharing, and content archiving, serving as a foundational layer for the emerging decentralized internet.[9][10][11]