DeNet Shares Vision For Scaling Decentralized Storage, AI Integration, And The Future Of Data Sovereignty

Decentralized storage is a transformative method to knowledge administration that distributes info throughout a community of impartial nodes, somewhat than counting on centralized servers. This technique enhances safety by encrypting and fragmenting knowledge, guaranteeing that solely the proprietor retains entry by personal keys. By shifting management from firms to people, decentralized storage empowers customers to reclaim possession of their knowledge, aligning with the broader Web3 ethos of decentralization and consumer sovereignty.

In an interview with Mpost, Daniil Maslov, Partner at DeNet shared the origins, mission, and way forward for DeNet, detailing how the protocol offers decentralized, safe, and user-controlled knowledge storage whereas addressing technical challenges, supporting enterprise and AI use circumstances, and contributing to the broader Web3 ecosystem.

DeNet launched again in 2017, lengthy earlier than “DePIN” turned a buzzword. What was the unique spark behind constructing a decentralized storage protocol?

The concept for DeNet got here from our co-founder, Denis Shelestov. At simply 10 years previous, he was already enthusiastic about the hazards of information leaks and hacks — and the shortage of actual privateness on-line. Your knowledge will be stolen, bought, or misplaced day by day, merely due to how centralized storage works. Once info is shared on-line, it’s now not really yours — third events can entry it at any time, leaving customers uncovered and susceptible.

The breakthrough got here when Denis tried internet hosting a easy web site from his private laptop computer. That sparked a thought: what if web sites could possibly be hosted securely throughout private units all around the world?

The unique concept was to create a decentralized internet hosting answer. But it shortly turned clear that it wouldn’t work and not using a dependable decentralized storage layer. That’s how the idea developed into DeNet. Today, DeNet is a decentralized storage protocol that makes use of unused space for storing around the globe to supply safe, user-controlled knowledge storage.

How do you see DeNet’s mission of restoring knowledge possession becoming into the broader Web3 motion?

Our mission helps deliver Web3 to life. Many nonetheless assume it’s solely about cryptocurrency, however it’s far more than that. At its core, Web3 is about reclaiming management — over your belongings, your id, your fame. And all of it begins together with your knowledge. If you don’t management your knowledge, you don’t really personal something on-line.

Today, info is extra invaluable than the Bitcoin in your pockets. It’s the brand new forex — and DeNet provides customers the instruments to really personal it.

In your view, what position will decentralized storage play within the subsequent wave of digital infrastructure in comparison with conventional cloud giants like AWS or Google Cloud?

Cloud storage has confirmed that knowledge will be saved in a manner that’s handy, accessible, and scalable. But decentralized storage takes it a step additional — providing a degree of safety that makes your knowledge unattainable to compromise. This isn’t nearly people’ privateness — it’s about defending delicate info at each degree, from people to governments.

The world is transferring in direction of multipolarity. Many nations are constructing their very own providers and AI fashions inside nationwide borders. In this context, the place delicate knowledge is saved — and who can entry it — turns into a essential concern. Traditional cloud infrastructure usually falls quick relating to each safety and adaptability. But DeNet provides actual knowledge sovereignty for B2C, B2B and B2G.

Of course, centralized cloud storage gained’t disappear — similar to USB drives nonetheless exist. And we’re not attempting to interchange it. But the world wants a stronger, smarter infrastructure layer — and DeNet is able to ship it.

What have been the most important technical challenges you confronted whereas constructing a decentralized storage protocol?

The largest problem is constructing absolutely decentralized storage that’s really straightforward to make use of — the place customers can add, transfer, or delete information freely, with out counting on third events. DeNet solves this by a protocol powered by clear, verifiable algorithms.

The system is constructed round two key elements: Datakeepers and Watcher Nodes. When a file is uploaded, it’s routinely break up into encrypted chunks and distributed throughout a community of trusted Datakeepers. Watcher Nodes act as validators — they monitor the community to make sure every file has sufficient copies. If redundancy drops, they routinely set off the creation of recent copies to maintain the info secure and at all times recoverable.

Today, the community contains over 2,100 lively Datakeepers and over 2 million cellular Watcher nodes. Each Datakeeper proves their reliability by buying a license, which prevents low-quality nodes from flooding the system. They additionally construct a fame rating over time — if their efficiency drops, they danger being faraway from the community.

The protocol is blockchain-agnostic by design, enabling just about limitless scalability. Not launching our personal chain was a deliberate strategic resolution — it lets us concentrate on fixing actual issues as a substitute of duplicating current infrastructure.

How does DeNet obtain a self-stabilizing storage value, and the way is that this mannequin completely different from unstable token-based pricing seen in different Web3 protocols?

To entry storage, customers must buy TBY utility tokens. One TBY at all times equals 1 terabyte of storage for 1 12 months — for instance, with 1 TBY you may retailer 1 TB for a 12 months, or 500 MB for 2 years. It’s used each to pay for storage and to reward node operators.

The key level is that the worth of storage stays secure, even when the token value fluctuates. A sensible contract routinely adjusts the market value of TBY primarily based on provide and demand — however the utility stays fastened: 1 TBY = 1 TB per 12 months, at all times.

In another protocols, customers are depending on the worth of the venture’s token. Its value adjustments primarily based on market hypothesis, which makes storage prices unstable and unpredictable. DeNet avoids that drawback with a utility-first method.

Which use case do you see driving adoption first—private knowledge storage, enterprise options, or AI/IoT integrations?

DeNet can already be used for all of those circumstances. The foremost distinction lies in scale and integration complexity.

We began with private knowledge storage — and there are already over 15 million consumer information secured.This wasn’t only a technical resolution — it displays our core mission to return management and privateness to customers. Starting with the top consumer was the pure first step — and immediately, our cellular app has over 5 million customers.

Enterprise and AI/IoT use circumstances require a distinct degree of infrastructure because of the sheer quantity of information concerned. That’s why our latest focus has been on scaling the community itself — growing the variety of lively Datakeepers and Watcher Nodes to make sure the system can reliably retailer and validate knowledge at enterprise scale.

How do you see DeNet supporting delicate industries like healthcare or finance, the place compliance and laws are strict?

Industries like healthcare and finance want safe storage greater than anybody — and our protocol is constructed to fulfill these wants. Compliance will be achieved by deploying DeNet throughout the borders of a particular nation and even inside a single group.

In the most recent model of DeNet Storage Protocol, we’ve launched node swimming pools — teams of Datakeeper nodes that function as a single unit. These swimming pools will be deployed primarily based on geographic or regulatory wants, making it potential to fulfill native compliance necessities.

Could DeNet change into the default storage layer for AI coaching datasets, and if that’s the case, what benefits would it not deliver in comparison with centralized choices?

Indeed, DeNet can already be used for that function immediately. There are a number of key benefits.

First — scalability. AI requires huge quantities of information to coach and develop. Centralized programs are restricted in scalability, however a decentralized community with a adequate variety of nodes can deal with this load simply.

Second — independence. With DeNet, firms and governments can retailer datasets, practice, and run their very own fashions and AI brokers on distributed programs that may’t be shut down centrally. This is very essential in an period the place AI equals aggressive benefit.

Third — consumer privateness. The situation of information safety in AI is changing into extra pressing: when somebody uploads knowledge to a chat, who really will get entry to it later? If you construct AI on decentralized storage, the setting turns into personal by design. Users know that nobody will entry their well being information or company data — and that builds actual belief.

Many protocols declare decentralization, however usually depend on hidden central factors of management. How does DeNet keep away from falling into this entice?

There are many nuances right here that it’s onerous to level to a single cause. In common, decentralized storage is extremely complicated to implement — it requires transferring away from conventional instruments and frameworks, in addition to constructing a group of really devoted and dependable individuals.

Each protocol takes its personal method to fixing these challenges. We selected the tougher path — constructing a really decentralized protocol from the bottom up with out counting on current options. It’s taken years of labor and dedication, and even now, there’s nonetheless room to develop.

If DeNet succeeds in scaling globally, what is going to the world of information storage seem like in 2030?

With the widespread adoption of decentralized storage, customers will lastly have full management over their knowledge. Currently, firms extract worth from private info with out significant consent. DeNet adjustments that. Users will resolve who can entry their knowledge and on what phrases. They will even have the choice to monetize their knowledge by sharing it to coach AI fashions, for instance.

Security will attain a wholly new degree. As lengthy as your personal keys stay safe, your knowledge will likely be fully inaccessible. Cybercrime will decline, and the web will change into a a lot safer area.

As extra nations development towards digital isolation and censorship, constructing a world web on decentralized infrastructure is the one manner to reserve it. 

Beyond storage, do you see DeNet increasing into different DePIN providers, similar to decentralized computing or networking, to finish the infrastructure stack?

We have a long-term technique to construct a full ecosystem round our storage protocol. There’s already a cellular app, a decentralized app retailer, and NFT storage constructed on prime of it — with extra providers on the best way. 

We’re additionally planning to launch an SDK by the top of the 12 months to make improvement simpler and extra accessible — opening the door for impartial builders and Web3 lovers to construct on prime of DeNet. Our protocol is a common device for making a freer, decentralized web — and we invite everybody to construct that future collectively.

The put up DeNet Shares Vision For Scaling Decentralized Storage, AI Integration, And The Future Of Data Sovereignty appeared first on Metaverse Post.