Towards a Decentralized Storage Network for the Blockchain Computer

In a previous video (), a16z crypto Deal Partner Ali Yahya described five open problems for building the blockchain computer. One of those problems is building a decentralized storage network.

In this video, we double-click on decentralized storage networks and explore some of the cutting edge computer science techniques we'll need to make these storage networks a reality. a16z crypto Deal Partner Ali Yahya talks with Stanford Ph.D. student Ben Fisch about how to create a reliable decentralized storage network with new protocols and the right economic incentives to entice people around the world to offer up some of their idle free storage space to developers who need that space. Specifically, they explore the following questions:

- How do we design a peer-to-peer storage system where people around the Internet offer to store files for us?

- How can we make sure this decentralized system performs well, doesn’t lose files, is trusted, and provides the right economic incentives to storage providers to participate in this system

- What benefits would a peer-to-peer system have over centralized systems (such as being more censorship resistance, broader participation in providing or verifying storage)?

- What computer science protocol work is needed to enable this type of network, such as proof of retrievability, proof of replication, proof of storage?

Show notes:

Ali mentions Bruce Schneir's description of four mechanisms for trust, which you can read more about here:

Bruce Schneier’s four mechanisms for trust

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