Why use decentralised data storage?

Bullet-proof security . Cleary, decentralised data storage will only work if security is tight, and the data encryption typically applied to decentralised storage is extremely strong. Decentralised networks also remove single points of failure because your storage is not dependent on a single actor, or a single location.

. Cleary, decentralised data storage will only work if security is tight, and the data encryption typically applied to decentralised storage is extremely strong. Decentralised networks also remove single points of failure because your storage is not dependent on a single actor, or a single location. Immutability . Decentralised networks can borrow from blockchain functionality, ensuring that no single party is in control of data. Data becomes immutable – in other words, guaranteed to be correct – because a correct copy is stored in multiple places.

. Decentralised networks can borrow from blockchain functionality, ensuring that no single party is in control of data. Data becomes immutable – in other words, guaranteed to be correct – because a correct copy is stored in multiple places. Optimized costs . Storage that is decentralised optimises costs because storage marketplaces make use of capacity that is already spare. There is no need to buy infrastructure to store your enterprise data, it is simply committed to decentralised storage that is already available.

. Storage that is decentralised optimises costs because storage marketplaces make use of capacity that is already spare. There is no need to buy infrastructure to store your enterprise data, it is simply committed to decentralised storage that is already available. Scalable infrastructure. Storage marketplaces are vast networks with massive storage capacity. These decentralised networks can adapt to your requirements: scaling up when necessary, scaling down when no longer needed.

Decentralised data storage and blockchain is a powerful combination

Decentralised data storage relates closely to blockchains because many of the concepts overlap. Blockchain itself is a decentralised data storage network, but the way blockchain operates makes it better suited to storing and handling transactional data.

Blockchains can be used for secure document transfer in multiple areas. However, blockchain data storage cannot cope well with large amounts of raw data. This is where decentralised networks can lend a helping hand to blockchains.

Until recently many of the popular decentralised apps (dApps) that are blockchain-driven had to make use of traditional cloud storage providers for data storage. But cloud storage is not a good match for incredibly dynamic blockchain applications. The concept of decentralised data storage (which includes storage marketplaces) provides a way forward, enabling apps such as prediction markets to flourish, unencumbered by the vast amounts of data that needs to be stored and processed.