How to Decentralize your NFT Art Asset Storage with Metacommerce and IPFS

Decentralized storage of Metacommerce Studio data

What is decentralized NFT storage?

Decentralization refers to transferring authority from a single entity to a network of parties that work together to reach consensus. This means that there is no single point of control, failure or corruption. 

Having a decentralized storage system means that data is not held by a single entity, but rather it is held by multiple agents. This means that no individual agent can alter or delete files without the authorization of all others.

Why is decentralized storage important for NFT creators and owners?

Your NFT art assets are precious, and if you are entrusting them to a second party, like Metacommerce, you need to be sure that they will be safe.

Our decentralized storage system means that files cannot be altered by one party without the authorization of all others. This means that Metacommerce, or even a malicious party, cannot delete or alter files, protecting your precious NFT art assets. 

Secondly, you want to be certain that your work will be accessible at all times. There’s nothing worse than a platform having an outage and preventing you for getting on with your work; our decentralized storage means that there is no single point of failure. This means that if one part of the system, for example AWS, has an outage your files will still be accessible.

How is my Metacommerce Studio data storage decentralized?

First of all data is stored to AWS S3, which we use as a backup. Next we employ Filebase, a managed object storage service that we use to upload and pin data to IPFS. This means your data is accessible and reliable in the event of a disaster or outage, and won't be affected by the IPFS garbage collection process.

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What is IPFS?

IPFS stands for InterPlanetary File System. It is a distributed and decentralized network for storing and accessing files and data, as well as other things like websites and applications. 

IPFS uses peer-to-peer network technology to connect a series of nodes located across the world that make up the IPFS network.

IPFS was launched in 2015 and has since become a web3 standard for decentralized storage.

What are the benefits of using IPFS to store Metacommerce studio art?

• It cannot be altered by one party (i.e. your work cannot be deleted or altered, maliciously or accidentally)
• It is not affected if one platform fails (e.g. if there is an outage on AWS, your work will still be accessible)
• IPFS ensures that the data included in the network is unique (they are uniquely identified by their CID) and is protected against modifications, making this data immutable. 

How is content identified in IPFS?

It uses content identifiers, or CIDs, to find and identify data. A CID is a label used to point to material in IPFS without indicating where content is stored. Instead, it forms a type of address based on a cryptographic hash of the content itself, meaning that:

•  any change to the content will produce a different CID
• The same content added to two different IPFS nodes using the same settings will produce the same CID.

CIDs are short, regardless of the size of their underlying content.

How can I start using IPFS to store my NFT art?

Sign up to the Metacommerce Studio and start uploading your assets!

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