7/28/22, 4:10 PM InterPlanetary File System - Wikipedia

InterPlanetary File System

The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a protocol
and peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing data in a InterPlanetary File System
distributed file system. IPFS uses content-addressing to
uniquely identify each file in a global namespace connecting
all computing devices.[4]

Contents
Original author(s) Juan Benet and
Design Protocol Labs[1]
History Developer(s) Protocol Labs
Implementations and uses
Initial release February 2015[1]
Other notable uses
Stable release 0.12.0
/ 2022-02-
See also 18[2]
References Repository github.com/ipfs
External links /ipfs (https://githu
b.com/ipfs/ipfs)
Written in Protocol
Design implementations:
Go (reference
IPFS allows users to host and receive content in a manner
implementation),
similar to BitTorrent. As opposed to a centrally located
JavaScript, C,[3]
server, IPFS is built around a decentralized system[5] of
user-operators who hold a portion of the overall data, Python
creating a resilient system of file storage and sharing. Any Client libraries:
user in the network can serve a file by its content address, Go, Java,
and other peers in the network can find and request that JavaScript,
content from any node who has it using a distributed hash Python, Scala,
table (DHT). Haskell, Swift,
In contrast to BitTorrent, IPFS aims to create a single global Common Lisp,
network. This means that if two users publish a block of Rust, Ruby, PHP,
data with the same hash, the peers downloading the content C#, Erlang
from "user 1" will also exchange data with the ones
Available in Go, JavaScript,
downloading it from "user 2".[6] IPFS aims to replace
Python
protocols used for static webpage delivery by using gateways
which are accessible with HTTP.[7] Users may choose not to Type Protocol,
install an IPFS client on their device and instead use a distributed file
public gateway. A list of these gateways is maintained on the system,
IPFS GitHub page.[8]
content delivery
network
History License MIT license,
Apache license
2.0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System 1/5
7/28/22, 4:10 PM InterPlanetary File System - Wikipedia

IPFS was created by Juan Benet, who later founded Protocol Website ipfs.io (https://ipfs.
Labs in May 2014.[4][9] io/)

Implementations and uses

IPFS was launched in an alpha version in February 2015, and by October of the same year was
described by TechCrunch as "quickly spreading by word of mouth."[1]

The Catalan independence referendum, taking place in September–October 2017, was deemed
illegal by the Constitutional Court of Spain and many related websites were blocked. Subsequently,
the Catalan Pirate Party mirrored the website on IPFS to bypass the High Court of Justice of
Catalonia order of blocking.[10][11]

Phishing attacks have also been distributed through Cloudflare's IPFS gateway since July 2018.
The phishing scam HTML is stored on IPFS, and displayed via Cloudflare's gateway. The
connection shows as secure via a Cloudflare SSL certificate.[12]

The IPStorm botnet, first detected in June 2019, uses IPFS so it can hide its command-and-control
amongst the flow of legitimate data on the IPFS network.[13] Security researchers had worked out
previously the theoretical possibility of using IPFS as a botnet command-and-control
system.[14][15]

Other notable uses

During the block of Wikipedia in Turkey, IPFS was used to create a mirror of Wikipedia, which
allowed access to the content of Wikipedia despite the ban.[16] However, that version of
Wikipedia was archived and therefore static.
Filecoin is an IPFS-based cooperative storage cloud.[17]
Cloudflare runs a distributed web gateway to simplify, speed up, and secure access to IPFS
without needing a local node.[18]
Microsoft's self-sovereign identity system, Microsoft ION, builds on the Bitcoin blockchain and
IPFS through a Sidetree-based DID network.[19]
Brave uses Origin Protocol and IPFS to host its decentralized merchandise store[20] and, in
2021, added support into their browser.[21]
Opera for Android has default support for IPFS, allowing mobile users to browse ipfs:// links
to access data on the IPFS network.[22]

See also
Content addressable storage
Dat (software)
Distributed file system
Freenet
GNUnet
Mnet (peer-to-peer_network) aka MojoNation
ZeroNet

References
1. Case, Amber (2015-10-04). "Why The Internet Needs IPFS Before It's Too Late" (http://social.t

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System 2/5
7/28/22, 4:10 PM InterPlanetary File System - Wikipedia

echcrunch.com/2015/10/04/why-the-internet-needs-ipfs-before-its-too-late/). TechCrunch.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220205042345/https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/04/wh
y-the-internet-needs-ipfs-before-its-too-late/) from the original on 2022-02-05. Retrieved
2019-07-16.
2. "Release v0.12.0" (https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/releases/tag/v0.12.0). GitHub. Retrieved
2022-03-06.
3. Agorise (2017-10-23). "c-ipfs: IPFS implementation in C. Why C? Think Bitshares' Stealth
backups, OpenWrt routers (decentralize the internet/meshnet!), Android TV, decentralized
Media, decentralized websites, decent." (https://web.archive.org/web/20200422114259/https://
github.com/Agorise/c-ipfs) GitHub. Archived from the original (https://github.com/Agorise/c-ipf
s) on 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
4. Finley, Klint (2016-06-20). "The Inventors of the Internet Are Trying to Build a Truly Permanent
Web" (https://www.wired.com/2016/06/inventors-internet-trying-build-truly-permanent-web/).
Wired. ISSN 1078-3148 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1078-3148). OCLC 24479723 (https://w
ww.worldcat.org/oclc/24479723). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20201215171224/http
s://www.wired.com/2016/06/inventors-internet-trying-build-truly-permanent-web/) from the
original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
5. Krishnan, Armin (2020). "Blockchain Empowers Social Resistance and Terrorism Through
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations" (https://doi.org/10.5038%2F1944-0472.13.1.1743).
Journal of Strategic Security. 13 (1): 41–58. doi:10.5038/1944-0472.13.1.1743 (https://doi.org/
10.5038%2F1944-0472.13.1.1743). ISSN 1944-0464 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1944-046
4). JSTOR 26907412 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/26907412).
6. "Content addressing" (https://docs.ipfs.io/concepts/content-addressing/). docs.ipfs.io. Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20200829083138/https://docs.ipfs.io/concepts/content-addressin
g/) from the original on 2020-08-29. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
7. "IPFS Gateway" (https://docs.ipfs.io/concepts/ipfs-gateway/). docs.ipfs.io. Archived (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20200829083134/https://docs.ipfs.io/concepts/ipfs-gateway/) from the
original on 2020-08-29. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
8. "Public Gateway Checker | IPFS" (https://ipfs.github.io/public-gateway-checker/). GitHub.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200824182008/https://ipfs.github.io/public-gateway-c
hecker/) from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
9. "About" (https://protocol.ai/about/). Protocol Labs. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210
428163146/https://protocol.ai/about/) from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
10. Balcell, Marta Poblet (2017-10-05). "Inside Catalonia's cypherpunk referendum" (https://www.e
urekastreet.com.au/article/inside-catalonia-s-cypherpunk-referendum). Eureka Street. Vol. 27,
no. 20. ISSN 1833-7724 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1833-7724). Archived (https://web.arch
ive.org/web/20210915035537/https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/inside-catalonia-s-cyph
erpunk-referendum) from the original on 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
11. Hill, Paul (2017-09-30). "Catalan referendum app removed from Google Play Store" (https://ww
w.neowin.net/news/catalan-referendum-app-removed-from-google-play-store). Neowin.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20201101023421/https://www.neowin.net/news/catalan-r
eferendum-app-removed-from-google-play-store) from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved
2017-10-06.
12. Abrams, Lawrence (2018-10-04). "Phishing Attacks Distributed Through Cloudflare's IPFS
Gateway" (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/phishing-attacks-distributed-throu
gh-cloudflares-ipfs-gateway/). Bleeping Computer. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2019
1009125848/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/phishing-attacks-distributed-thr
ough-cloudflares-ipfs-gateway/) from the original on 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
13. Palmer, Danny (2019-06-11). "This unusual Windows malware is controlled via a P2P network"
(https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-unusual-windows-malware-is-controlled-via-a-p2p-
network/). ZDNet. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20190906223819/https://www.zdnet.c
om/article/this-unusual-windows-malware-is-controlled-via-a-p2p-network/) from the original on
2019-09-06. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System 3/5
7/28/22, 4:10 PM InterPlanetary File System - Wikipedia

14. Patsakis, Constantinos; Casino, Fran (2019-06-04). "Hydras and IPFS: a decentralised
playground for malware". International Journal of Information Security. 18 (6): 787–799.
arXiv:1905.11880 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.11880). doi:10.1007/s10207-019-00443-0 (https://
doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10207-019-00443-0). S2CID 167217444 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/
CorpusID:167217444).
15. Macabeus, Bruno; Vinicius, Marcus; Cavalcante, João Paolo; de Souza, Cidcley Teixeira
(2018-05-06). Protocolos IPFS e IPNS como meio para o controle de botnet: prova de
conceito (https://sol.sbc.org.br/index.php/wscdc/article/view/2400/2364). Workshop de
Segurança Cibernética em Dispositivos Conectados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20210117104344/https://sol.sbc.org.br/index.php/wscdc/article/view/2
400/2364) from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-04-27 – via SBC Open Lib.
16. Dale, Brady (2017-05-10). "Turkey Can't Block This Copy of Wikipedia" (https://observer.com/2
017/05/turkey-wikipedia-ipfs/). Observer. ISSN 1052-2948 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1052-
2948). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20171018092720/http://observer.com/2017/05/tu
rkey-wikipedia-ipfs/) from the original on 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
17. Johnson, Steven (2018-01-16). "Beyond the Bitcoin Bubble" (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/0
1/16/magazine/beyond-the-bitcoin-bubble.html). The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095 (http
s://www.worldcat.org/issn/1553-8095). OCLC 1645522 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/164552
2). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20211221233257/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/
16/magazine/beyond-the-bitcoin-bubble.html) from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved
2018-09-26.
18. Orcutt, Mike (2018-10-05). "A big tech company is working to free the internet from big tech
companies" (https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/10/05/139885/a-big-tech-company-is-wo
rking-to-free-the-internet-from-big-tech-companies/). MIT Technology Review. ISSN 0040-1692
(https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0040-1692). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2021012621
2931/https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/10/05/139885/a-big-tech-company-is-working-to
-free-the-internet-from-big-tech-companies/) from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved
2020-04-21.
19. Simons, Alex (2019-05-13). "Toward scalable decentralized identifier systems" (https://techcom
munity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-active-directory-identity/toward-scalable-decentralized-identifier-
systems/ba-p/560168#). Microsoft. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200429043202/htt
ps://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-active-directory-identity/toward-scalable-decentrali
zed-identifier-systems/ba-p/560168) from the original on 2020-04-29. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
20. "Brave Launches New Swag Store Powered by Origin" (https://brave.com/brave-launches-new
-swag-store-powered-by-origin/). Brave (Press release). 2020-03-24. Archived (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20200425042551/https://brave.com/brave-launches-new-swag-store-powered-by
-origin/) from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
21. Porter, Jon (2021-01-19). "Brave browser takes step toward enabling a decentralized web" (htt
ps://www.theverge.com/2021/1/19/22238334/brave-browser-ipfs-peer-to-peer-decentralized-tr
ansfer-protocol-http-nodes). The Verge. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/202102261704
57/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/19/22238334/brave-browser-ipfs-peer-to-peer-decentraliz
ed-transfer-protocol-http-nodes) from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
22. "Opera introduces major updates to its blockchain-browser on Android" (https://press.opera.co
m/2020/03/30/opera-introduces-major-updates-to-its-blockchain-browser-on-android/). Opera
(Press release). 2020-03-03. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200402222330/https://pr
ess.opera.com/2020/03/30/opera-introduces-major-updates-to-its-blockchain-browser-on-andr
oid/) from the original on 2020-04-02. Retrieved 2020-04-21.

External links
Official website (https://ipfs.io/)
Cloudflare public IPFS gateway (https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System 4/5
7/28/22, 4:10 PM InterPlanetary File System - Wikipedia

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=InterPlanetary_File_System&oldid=1089110312"

This page was last edited on 22 May 2022, at 00:09 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0;

additional terms may apply. By
using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System 5/5