Bitcoin Forum

Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: coinstuff on January 29, 2018, 06:43:24 PM



Title: Sharing Images/Videos through Blockchain
Post by: coinstuff on January 29, 2018, 06:43:24 PM
I am interested in using blockchain technology to create an ICO which would allow individuals to securely share anonymized large-sized images and videos. Since I am not an engineer, my knowledge regarding blockchain technology is relatively superficial. Is this something that is feasible and does anyone have an idea of what someone would charge for a project like this?


Title: Re: Sharing Images/Videos through Blockchain
Post by: jambola2 on January 29, 2018, 08:33:51 PM
We already have issues with block-size in Bitcoin (ie: 1 MB block size limit, and controversy surrounding this).
Sending entire encoded images in this way sounds near impossible.

You might want to look at something like Storj though. It is a decentralized storage platform, that is tied to a cryptocurrency.
It might be possible to translate decentralized storage into decentralized sharable storage.

(Also, maybe check the Project Development subforum for technical help)


Title: Re: Sharing Images/Videos through Blockchain
Post by: DooMAD on January 29, 2018, 09:11:17 PM
Blockchains like Bitcoin's, where there are thousands of copies of the ledger, would be wholly inefficient for storing images and videos.  Some projects get around this problem by splitting the files into small segments and spreading just enough copies of those around in a distributed way, so each participant might get a fragment that only 9 other people have a copy of, for example, so there's not too much redundancy.  Other projects store the files themselves in a centralised way on a server or "in the cloud" (God I hate that phrase) somewhere, but then assign a unique hash to each file and then the record of that hash is stored in a distributed blockchain, so there's irrefutable proof of which file belongs to whom.  There are certainly ways and means to get around the issue, but it's not exactly simple.

Along with jambola2's suggestion of Storj, there's also Maidsafe, Siacoin, Factom, BitCache and I'm guessing a few others as well, all with a different approach to storage on blockchains.  I'd say chances are, you're a bit late to the party for an ICO in this particular niche, since all the good, practical ideas are likely taken and well established by now.  First-mover advantage counts for quite a bit in this game.  And not that I want to sound too discouraging, but it sounds like you have more of a wishlist than an actual plan here.  Consider carefully before you commit any serious time or money to this idea, but that's just a suggestion.