This article is the third in a three part series entitled Datum Spotlight Review, in which we explore and analyse in detail various aspects of the Datum project in itself, as well as in relation to wider issues such as the importance of autonomy over our own digital data. If you haven’t already read the first- which is an overall analysis and project review- and the second- an exploration into the ‘digital you’ and importance of data autonomy- I’d suggest doing so before reading this instalment.

You can read the first here: https://steemit.com/datum/@cryptospartan/spotlight-review-datum-empowering-users-through-data-autonomy

And the second here: https://steemit.com/datum/@cryptospartan/datum-spotlight-review-the-digital-you-and-data-autonomy

The reason for this multi-part review on Datum specifically is the importance I perceive it to have to our daily lives and we progress technologically. There are some use cases of blockchain which are more pertinent innovations, due to their disruptively beneficial potential in aiding in creating a more beneficial human experience. Datum, looking to empower online users by giving back control over digital data, is one of these projects.

This third article will analyse the mechanics of the Datum platform, and explore how such a decentralised ecosystem can work towards achieving Datum’s goal of ultimate control over one’s own data.

Datum Platform: Technology Harnessed to Empower

In a world where our every online movement and intention is recorded by one entity or another, autonomy over one’s own data will be a fundamental element to retaining true freedom as technology becomes more pervasive and more important to the human experience.

Datum’s vision, as we have discovered, is to enable this to become the case. However intentions are one thing, and creating an effective technical solution is quite another; in order to achieve their goal of attaining data autonomy for the individual, Datum’s solution will need to be based on sound and effective technologies.

Blockchain and Smart Contracts

The fundamental framework of the Datum ecosystem is their base layer of cutting-edge smart contract enabled technology. Blockchain is the ideal (and the only capable) foundation for Datum’s solution due to its inherent core features; not only are blockchain-enabled payments and transfers more efficient and able to offer increased security, but more importantly for Datum’s purposes the decentralised and distributed nature of blockchain means that activities on the network are virtually tamper-proof. This is a crucial element of data storage if personal data autonomy is to be achieved- there is no point in owning the keys to your own data, if those keys can be bypassed by a calculated hack or attack, as is the core problem with traditional data storage solutions.

Datum smart contract applications, taken from the Datum whitepaper: https://datum.org/assets/Datum-WhitePaper.pdf

Futhermore, this blockchain framework allows for the use of innovative smart contracts within the Datum network, which is the real enabler of individual data sovereignty; now users can decide for themselves who to grant access to their data- and all in an ultimately transparent (and therefore verifiable) way thanks to Datum’s novel blockchain framework. In this way, if a user wishes to enhance their financial freedom by monetising their stored data, they are able to do so without sacrificing their data autonomy with ultimate control over access.

Sound Token Economics

Any blockchain-based project needs to ensure sound token economics within their ecosystem, as tokens are the fuel which provide power to the overall network; a flawed token model inevitably results in weak fundamentals, and can have detrimental effects on a project’s longevity. In the case of Datum, the token economics are refreshingly clear, calculated and clearly designed to encourage a healthy and active ecosystem in the long run.

The utility token fuelling the network is Datum’s DAT token, which is utilised for various activities relating to the storage, purchase and maintenance of data. If a user wishes to join the Datum network and securely store data, they will pay using DAT for the privilege. Similarly, a data consumer would pay in DAT for any user-agreed transactions within the platform.

Importantly for the longevity of Datum’s economic model, the supply of DAT has been designed to be deflationary in nature due to being destroyed after utilisation for many of the platform’s features. Datum have clearly designed their ecosystem with a forward-thinking methodology in mind.

Flow of DAT tokens in the Datum network, taken from the Datum whitepaper: https://datum.org/assets/Datum-WhitePaper.pdf

Forward-Thinking Operational Mechanism

Sound technology is not necessarily enough to ensure the effective operation and longevity of a project, especially a project with a vision as potentially disruptive and far-reaching as Datum’s.

The digital landscape is forever changing, and there are a few factors which Datum in particular will need to make sure to address if they are to accomplish their mission of facilitating widespread individual data autonomy, namely: data storage scaling, the encompassing of new data sources, and network expansion.

Infinite Storage Scaling

Datum’s goal is not to enhance the lives of a select few enthusiasts, but to offer the opportunity to facilitate a new level autonomy for any and all who wish to take part. When we consider the fact that at our current stage of technological advancement we currently produce 2.5 Quintillion bytes of data each day- much of which originating from personal activity- it is clear that a finite network storage capacity will not suffice.

With this I mind, Datum’s ecosystem, therefore, has been designed to be technologically capable of facilitating the onboarding of vast amounts of participants. Incentivised storage nodes will provide storage and computing capacity to the network and due to Datum’s leveraging of BigchainDB and IPFS, will enable a truly global and infinitely scaling decentralised storage solution.

IoT

An infinite capacity for data storage is crucial for not only onboarding greater numbers of users, but also to prepare for new sources of personal, and business-generated, data as we proceed deeper into the digital age. Few things about our technological advancement are known, but it is clear that IoT (internet of things) capabilities are set to take the technological realm by storm; already, home devices such as fridges are becoming IoT-ready at an impressive rate.

When IoT-enabled personal devices become standard, a whole new level of data relating to an individual will be continuously and seamlessly collected and compiled. Impressively, even before the technology has become mainstream, Datum has this covered; their solution already supports data from IoT devices, as well as other sources.

Healthy Community-Fuelled Ecosystem

The Datum ecosystem has been built to be rich and dynamic, comprised of various types of actors- each incentivised in one way or another to maintain the optimal functioning of the network. A healthy core framework of storage capacity and computing resources are ensured by incentivised storage nodes, whilst users are incentivised to participate on two fronts: the capability of ultimately secure and controllable file storage, and the ability to selectively monetise this stored data. The demand (from data consumers) will be driven by Datum’s ability to inherently provide access to a superior quality, and perhaps otherwise inaccessible, pool of data.

The more users participating in the Datum ecosystem, the richer the pool of data available, and thus the more valuable the network becomes- both monetarily and socially. This increase in user base will in turn increase network demand and participation, and therefore the strength of the Datum ecosystem itself.

Verdict & Summary

As data collection continues to increase in volume and intensity on our path deeper into the digital age, a truly secure and dynamic decentralised data ecosystem is surely required if the individual’s data autonomy is to be achieved.

Datum has been specifically designed for this very purpose; based on a solid technological blockchain-powered framework, Datum are providing a solution which aims to facilitate the maintenance of users’ autonomy over their own data in a way only made technologically possible by the utilisation of cutting-edge technology.

The very mechanics of the Datum platform have been designed to overcome three of the biggest hurdles to facilitating widespread individual data autonomy (namely: data storage scaling, the encompassing of new data sources and network expansion), and the project is enabling impressive levels of opportunity for exercising individual autonomy.

I will be following Datum closely, and wish them the best of luck in their noble cause.

Have any questions regarding Datum? Join their active community on Telegram where you can discuss anything Datum-related: https://t.me/datumnetwork

Learn more at their website: https://datum.org/
You can also find their whitepaper here if you want to dig in deeper: https://datum.org/assets/Datum-WhitePaper.pdf

Get connected to Datum on social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/datumnetwork
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/datumnetwork

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