Today’s topic is IPFS. For many users who haven’t explored this field before, the concept may feel very unfamiliar. However, the idea of distributed storage is something most people have at least some understanding of, since “distributed storage” is one of the foundational concepts in blockchain. If you already understand distributed storage to some extent, then you essentially already have a conceptual framework for IPFS — you can think of IPFS as one of the representative protocols of distributed storage. From a conceptual perspective, IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a network transmission protocol designed to create a persistent and distributed system for storing and sharing files. It improves the security and efficiency of file storage through decentralization, content addressing, and peer-to-peer communication technologies. From a background perspective, the emergence of IPFS is inseparable from the highly centralized nature of the Web2 era. For decades, the internet has operated on a simple, almost fragile logic: Files live on a server → you request them → the server sends them back. It works—until it doesn’t. l A single server crash can take down your website. l A government block can make content vanish overnight. l A malicious actor can manipulate, delete, or forge stored data. l A platform can censor anything it decides is “inappropriate.” l A corporation can shut down a product and erase years of user data. The modern web looks decentralized on the surface, but underneath it’s still deeply centralized—owned and controlled by a handful of giant players. This is why IPFS exists. IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) isn’t just another storage tool. It’s a re-architecture of how information should live and move on the internet—content-addressed, permanent, censorship-resistant, and distributed. In this SuperEx Educational Series deep-dive, we’ll unpack: l Why the current Web2 model is fundamentally flawed l What IPFS actually is l How its content addressing revolutionizes data storage l How decentralized file distribution works l The ecosystem around IPFS, including Filecoin l Real-world applications in crypto, Web3, and beyond l Why IPFS matters to the next 20 years of digital innovation l How it intersects with blockchain, NFTs, DePIN、DeAI and more This is the guide for anyone who wants to understand not just the technology, but the meaning of IPFS. The Problem IPFS Tries to Solve: A Centralized Web Built on Borrowed Time To understand IPFS, we must first understand the core weakness of today’s internet: It’s built on location-based addressing. 1. What is location-based addressing? Every file on the internet is stored somewhere. When you visit a website, you aren’t requesting content — you’re requesting a location: https://***.com/**/**.** The URL tells your browser where the file lives, not what it is l If the server goes down → the file disappears. l If the corporation deletes it → it’s gone. l If the region blocks the domain → you lose access. l If the server replaces the file → you get whatever they want you to see. This system is fragile by design. 2. The big risks of centralized storage Let’s break it down: Risk 1: Single points of failure One server outage can kill millions of websites. This happens every year with AWS、Google Cloud、Azure。 Risk 2: Content impermanence Links rot, pages vanish, and databases shut down. A study by Harvard Law found 49% of links break within 2 years. Risk 3: Censorship and control l Governments block domains. l Platforms remove posts. l Corporations decide what stays online. Risk 4: Data integrity cannot be independently verified You can’t prove a file wasn’t tampered with. 3. The internet needed a new foundation IPFS responds with one radical idea: What if files weren’t retrieved from a “location” but from the entire network — and the network verifies the content automatically? This changes everything. What IPFS Actually Is: A Distributed, Content-Addressed File System IPFS is a peer-to-peer protocol designed to make the web: l faster l safer l permanent l decentralized Think of it as BitTorrent + Git + a global database — but engineered for Web3 and production-scale internet applications. 1. The core concept: content addressing In IPFS, files are not requested by their location. They’re requested by a content hash — an irreversible cryptographic fingerprint. Example: QmT7d8... (CID) — This is called a CID (Content Identifier). 2. What the CID does l uniquely represents the file l proves the content’s integrity l ensures tampered files are rejected l allows any node to serve the content l If 10 people have the file, you can get it from all of them. l If 1,000 nodes pin it, it lives “forever.” This is content addressing in pure form: l You don’t ask where the file is. l You ask the network: “Give me the file that matches this hash.” If someone changes even 1 byte → the hash changes → the network rejects it → users receive the correct version. This is what makes IPFS tamper-proof by design. How IPFS Works Under the Hood To truly understand IPFS, we need to explore three core mechanisms: l Content addressing l Content routing l Content distribution Let’s break them down. 1. Content Addressing: CIDs When you upload something to IPFS, it is: split into small chunks → hashed → hashed again into a merkle-DAG → assigned a unique CID.This is very similar to how Git tracks versions of code. The beauty，If content doesn’t change, the CID remains identical across space and time. l Two users uploading the same file → same CID. l Ten servers hosting it → same CID. l A million nodes serving it → same CID. This destroys redundancy and ensures consistency. 2. Content Routing: Who Has the File? IPFS uses a Distributed Hash Table (DHT) to map: CID → Nodes that store this CID When your node wants a file: It queries the DHT → The DHT returns a list of peers that have the data → Your node fetches the pieces from the fastest/closest ones. Routing is distributed，No company controls the lookup table. 3. Content Distribution: Parallel & Efficient IPFS distributes files BitTorrent-style: l Pieces come from multiple peers l Downloads are concurrent l The more nodes holding the file → the faster it loads Traditional web 1 server → 10,000 users = server melts IPFS 10,000 users → each becomes a potential distributor → system gets stronger It flips the scaling model on its head. Why IPFS Matters: The Web3 Stack Is Incomplete Without It Blockchains do NOT store files. They never have and They never will. A blockchain can store small pieces of data, but not: l video l images l game assets l documents l datasets l AI model files l NFT metadata l DeAI training data This is why IPFS is the essential partner to blockchain. 1. NFTs without IPFS = fake decentralization Before IPFS, most NFTs stored metadata on Web2 servers. If the server shuts down，your NFT becomes a broken link. With IPFS: l metadata is permanent l image files are permanent l version history can be preserved l anyone can verify authenticity Every serious NFT project today uses IPFS in some form. 2. DePIN projects need IPFS for real decentralization Decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN)—including peer-to-peer storage, computing, transmission, map data, and AI data storage—relies heavily on verifiable distributed data systems; IPFS is precisely this foundational layer. 3. DeAI will rely heavily on IPFS AI models and training datasets are usually: l Huge l Require version control l Require transparency l Require verifiable provenance IPFS’s content-addressing model perfectly meets these needs. 4. DAO and decentralized governance archives l Governance proposals l Historical voting records l Community materials l Project documentation All of these require tamper-proof long-term storage. 5. Decentralized Social (DeSoc) Imagine if social platforms worldwide had to meet the following three conditions: l Are decentralized l Data belongs to users l Are not controlled by the platform Then users’ posts, content, and media would have to be stored on IPFS or similar protocols; for example, Lens, Farcaster, and CyberConnect all make extensive use of IPFS. IPFS vs. Traditional Cloud Storage: A Real Comparison The IPFS Ecosystem: Filecoin, Pinning, Gateways, Toolkits IPFS is not one single network—it’s an ecosystem. 1. IPFS by itself does NOT guarantee permanence Important point: IPFS stores content as long as someone pins it.If nobody maintains copies → it may disappear. This leads us to… Filecoin, Pinning, Gateways, Toolkits 2. Filecoin: Economic Layer for Permanent Storage Filecoin incentivizes: l storage providers l long-term archiving l verifiable storage proofs l With cryptoeconomic guarantees. Filecoin + IPFS = a complete decentralized storage system: l IPFS handles retrieval l Filecoin provides incentives l Together, they ensure permanence This is why the industry often mentions them together. 3. Pinning Services For people who want permanent storage without running nodes: l Pinata l Infura l Web3.Storage l Estuary l NFT.Storage These services help keep files alive indefinitely. 4. Gateways Gateways convert IPFS into regular Web2 URLs: https://ipfs.io/ipfs/<CID>. They make IPFS usable by browsers that don’t natively support the protocol. Real-World Use Cases Here are real, large-scale applications of IPFS: l NFTs：OpenSea, Rarible, Foundation all support IPFS metadata. l Decentralized Social Networks：Lens Protocol stores its posts in IPFS. l AI Data Storage：Training datasets stored using IPFS to ensure transparency. l Decentralized Science (DeSci)：Research papers stored permanently and censorship-resistant. l Metaverse Assets：3D models, textures, voices, avatars — stored on IPFS. l Government Records：Some jurisdictions already experiment with immutable archives. l DePIN Projects：Map data, traffic info, location indexes all require decentralized storage. Final Thoughts — IPFS Is Not Just a Technology, But a Rewrite of Internet Philosophy l The old internet says:“You access content from whoever owns the server.” l The IPFS internet says:“You access content from the entire network,validated cryptographically, stored everywhere, owned by no one.” It is the biggest shift in data architecture since the early web itself. In a world where: l AI models need transparent sourcing l decentralized social needs censorship resistance l NFTs need permanent metadata l DePIN networks need verifiable storage l Web3 identity needs permanence IPFS is no longer optional. It is the backbone—not of the future web, but of the new internet already being built.
