Guides to Blockchain Related Apps InterPlanetary Search Engine (IPSE) Guide

What is InterPlanetary Search Engine (IPSE)? InterPlanetary Search Engine (IPSE) is a search engine based on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) that was created in 2015. IPSE is designed to help users locate and retrieve files on the IPFS network quickly with smart contract protocol and uses EOS blockchain payment ecosystem for its Token Economy.



Caption: Main Page of IPSE.

What is InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)?

InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a global hypermedia file system protocol that can link decentralized file storage devices hosted by operators cum users via peer-to-peer distribution, similar to BitTorrent. It can track versions as well, much like GIT, and allows users to receive and host a portion of the overall data contents.

Read the Complete Guide to InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)

Search Engine Based on EOS & IPFS

As stated above, IPSE is a search engine based on the IPFS and EOS ecosystems and it provides users with the following features:

1. Protected Data Ownership

Users will not need to keep their data with internet giants; they can own their data instead by using decentralized data storage and can set their privacy preferences to manage which data to share and earn compensations in return.

2. Incentive Sharing

Since free search service was chosen as the model, incentive sharing was implemented to achieve a more accurate distributed search engine that is rich in content. Two categories of data can be shared to earn incentives, they are ordinary material data and users’ own preference data with encryption option.

3. Search-based Advertising Platform

Advertisers can locate customers’ shared preference data through a smart contract and pay them a reasonable compensation price under an open and transparent trading mechanism without going through a middleman. The sharing user will not need to disclose private data to anyone else except the advertiser with the exact match. The IPSE whitepaper argued that this is in contrast to traditional search engine, where middlemen earn the most benefits leaving ordinary users and advertisers in a losing position.

4. Token Economy System for Contents

Consumers can conveniently use their tokens to obtain contents with copyrights through a token economy system developed with EOS’s payment system. It is as simple as leaving a like on a social media platform and sharing content is as easy as sending message. Users can be rewarded with tokens by sharing their contents.

IPSE’s Layered Design 1. Settlement Layer DPoS will be used to develop the settlement layer of the IPSE main blockchain system. Sidechain technology will be used for data storage of different values and node selection according to saved data value.

2. Protocol Layer The network layer and storage layer are part of the entire protocol layer of IPSE that will be written with the Go Programming Language (Golang) and uses Google's LevelDB to be the underlying database.

3. Extension Layer The IPSE extension layer consists of smart contracts, virtual machines and sidechain technology.

Sidechain Protocol

Sidechain protocol of IPSE permits the transfer of assets between main chain and side chain by utilizing the two-way hook mechanism of the main side chain via bi-directional link.

The process is as follows:

1. User initiates transfer of token to the side chain, a transaction will be generated on the main chain. The token will then be moved to a special output and locked down on the main chain.

2. The transaction will wait out a period to acquire enough work to confirm.

3. The user will then generate a transaction extraction token on the side chain, indicating at the transaction input with the above locked down output on the main chain and provides sufficient SPV proof.

4. Wait for a period to avoid double spending problems.

5. Token can now be circulated on the side chain without constraint.

Side Chain Roles

The roles of side chain are as follows:

Operation provider for the application chain consisting of virtual machines, smart contracts and running ecosystem.

Off-chain settlement of chain transactions.

Contains basic user data of the application chain, for example, authorizations, token account book and customer account.

Mining

Users can acquire mining revenue by tagging contents.

Review Mechanism

If during searches, a user discovers an invalid hash address or that the data hash does not match the semantic tag, he/she can report this service commitment violation. If the case accumulates sufficient reviews, it will enter arbitration process automatically and will receive community rewards if it is not a random attack.

POST Token

POST token is the native cryptocurrency of IPSE with total amount of 10 billion POST in circulation. Users can use POST token to promote contents by placing an order via Smart Contracts. Additionally, users can earn revenue by uploading resources to the IPFS network or sharing network resources and storage space.

Decentralization

The IPSE ecosystem uses centralized solution on its search service layer and hence it is not a complete decentralization solution.

IPSE Team Members

Silver Xie - Founder and Chief Architect

Ender Xu - Chief Ecological Strategies Consultant

Caption: IPSE CEO, Xie Jianhuai.

Read the Whitepaper of InterPlanetary Search Engine (IPSE)

Disclaimer

CryptoGuide is not related to the IPSE team and product. The above guide is subject to change depending on the progress and possible modification of the IPSE ecosystem.