The idea of a decentralized Internet has thus far been mostly the jurisdiction of wonkish technology types, but new reports show that the blockchain community is leveraging this technology to build out the idea of been a peer-to-peer Internet system that can bypass traditional gatekeepers like ICANN.
A report at Coindesk shows how a firm called Unstoppable Domains, which launched in 2018, is providing a new model for domain name system operations and decentralized hosting.
“Using the ethereum blockchain, this new crop of startups is helping developers get decentralized websites onto the internet without the approval of DNS authorities,” writes Paddy Baker, noting various examples of national efforts to censor the traditional Internet.
In some ways, all of this isn’t new. We’ve been hearing, for example, about decentralized apps or “d-apps” from Tron and other crypto groups for quite a while. But the idea that you could use a.crypto domain to stay outside of the traditionally hosted Internet could raise some eyebrows.
Baker’s sources suggest that these can be used to build “uncensorable” websites, but that might not be great news for governments and other parties that have traditionally sought to regulate the existing Internet.
The Chinese, for example, have produced a draconian system cracking down on illegal Internet media, and even apparently tried to enlist the assistance of Google with project Dragonfly, which was quickly scuttled when everyone found out about it.
Anyway, the idea of the decentralized Internet is a game-changer that will revolutionize how we see the globally connected web. If you’re into crypto plays, take a closer look at how Ethereum-based blockchains are contributing to new ways of propping up these types of powerful telecom alternatives.
