File sharing is a big deal. Just ask the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers who published "The Evolution of the Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Industry and the Security Risks for Users" in January 2008.
OK, so this was at the very beginning of Bitcoin's conception. But, the importance of file-sharing cannot be denied. So why has it taken this long for blockchain technology to become involved. Maybe the answer is simply trust.
Some of the top file-sharing companies are listed on DataFox.
UPFIRING
Upfiring seems to have a head start on Topia. This article is not about which came first or even which coin is more valuable now. It is also not about predicting them through 2018. The goal here is to compare the whitepapers in a very basic way that differentiates them.
Upfiring
utilizes the Ethereum ecosystem as its primary platform for transaction-processing
After quickly reading through the rest of the Upfiring white paper, one might say that it RELIES upon Ethereum.
TOPIA
Topia's whitepaper reads differently. First, it defines a new network, the Secure Decentralized File Sharing (SDFS) Network. It then lists supporting technologies for SDFS:
- distributed hash tables (i.e. Kademlia)
- peer-to-peer data transfer (see quote below)
- digital ledgers (i.e. blockchain)
SDFS is an evolving technology that is designed to inter-operate with other systems and technology. New blockchain and peer-to-peer technologies are being developed that complement the capabilities of SDFS
You probably guessed that, throughout Topia's whitepaper, it elaborates more about technical details than Upfiring. Consider how Topia transactions are presented compared to the Upfiring description in the first quote as being part of the Ethereum ecosystem. Topia accounts for:
- Data Encryption - Secrata Enterprise File Sync and Share
- Access Control - required membership of container blockchain
- Data Flow - blockchain in conjunction with distributed hash tables
So what makes Topia different? The answer to that might simply be that Upfiring looks like any other coin built on top of Ethereum. Security and file-sharing go hand-in-hand. Since near the beginning of the Internet, companies have gone out of their way to differentiate the way they share files. It is still early in this game, and as I mentioned above, why so. But, if one thing can be predicted, it is that things will transpire very fast in this space.
This post has received a 1.95 % upvote from @speedvoter thanks to: @machnbirdsparo.
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Interesting read. I didn't know filesharing was about to get big on the blockchain. But I don't think an Ethereum coin can be big for anything unless it's purely for marketing reasons like EOS. So it seems like Topia has a better starting position.
Do you think the storage coins like siacoin or storj are going to compete for the same business?
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Had heard of both some time ago. Did not really remember why I skipped over them. So I must admit I needed to do a search.
I had contemplated simple cloud storage before writing this post. File-sharing is part of a family member's job. So I was bless with conversations about how the corporate world sees cloud companies vs file-sharing.
I really believe it will come down to the perception of how hard it is to hack file transfers. Sure hacking a storage medium may come into play. But the driving factor will be the security of the handshake. If you read the whitepapers you will probably come to the conclusion I did. That a company investing in Upfiring will be subject to Ethereum while Topia will offer specialized service/security.
In regards to Siacoin and Storj, can a corporation or high valued independent rely upon these cloud companies to have file-sharing in their best interest if they are trying to gain market share by drawing massive amounts data to them? Or will they require a high premium for storage that comes with other services (like filesharing)? Just seems like it is easier to tell a corporation: "you already got the info and we specialize in the transport over a blockchain".
Maybe Siacom and Storj have a good product. Maybe it develops nicely. But will they have the focus for high-valued filesharing? Or will they focus on a Google Play model that benefits app developers?
Sorry for all the 'question marks'. That's how I approach speculation.
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Yeah, I don't know the answers either. There are so many blockchain project that seem really solid, but I know that statistically they can't all succeed.
Do you think the ones you mentioned are going to replace p2p torrents or is it more like wetransfer-stuff they're after?
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I should not comment on torrents. While I have a PC and have a bit of power (GPU bleeps), I don't have a back up so I do not experiment much with torrents. I have used them for videos but took care and much searching. My trial ran out so has been a while since I used torrents. That said, I believe someone will come out with a blockchain that will take the torrent idea to a new level.
We who innovate move forward. I worked as a personal trainer and saw people dedicated, and then, frustrated turned to steroids (counter productive to health). I saw people give up. Myself, I was able to outperform the program gains outlined in books written by popular fitness gurus. I did that by having real survival goals, rather than, image goals. My satisfaction was sprinting through mountain peaks and making lifts in relation to my body; doing yoga underwater etc. etc.
So p2p-torrent will get better once someone sees the connection with blockchain. Maybe we can co-write an article on the Delft's Tribler research (just found in a search from your inspiration).
https://torrentfreak.com/researchers-use-a-blockchain-to-boost-anonymous-torrent-sharing-180129/
I always thought of the blockchain as having the goal of legos. Don't know why. I have no real basis for that other than was one of my first thoughts.
So torrents were on my mind early on. However, my tech talent is really limited to some Javascript for making interactive websites. Running a Bitcoin node was a challenge. I got a Lightning Network test transaction and saw myself on one of the test net maps, but never was able to send the practice coins back or to anyone else. I tried to complete the Steemit witness but doubt I will be entering my credit card as required by every server- I hear running on your computer is not realistic.
Know nothing of wetransfer-stuff other than it was founded by an Amsterdam company (googled).
What's your experience with torrent and do you have ideas about blockchain in this area? Do you see a significant difference in p2p torrents?
BTW. My OS is not Linux nor am I experienced with Linux other than a few videos and some tests a while back.
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Cool writeup, almost a post in itself!
I'm not a coder at all so I often have to trust the knowledge of those who know what they're talking about. So I think you might be a lot more experienced int he tech than me, even if you're not a superuser.
On a sidenote, after your post people have starting to write a lot about Topia because it's moving to the bitshares blockchain. That in itself has also made me more interested in it, since I'm a big fan and believer in bts.
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