[INFO - DISCUSSION] BitStream - Decentralized File Hosting based on Bitcoin

[cygan]

Robin Linus, the user who developed and launched BitVM, has now launched another project called BitStream. it is a decentralized file-hosting network based on Bitcoin and from what i've read through some tweets, BitVM calculations can be done with the input data stored in BitStream.
and when it comes to sharing the profit, the decryption key cannot be faulty as it is the pre-image of the lightning payment. so you either get the correct key or no payment is made.

all further information about the said project can be found under the following .pdf link and if you want to play with it a bit, visit the github link and follow all the installation instructions there:


https://robinlinus.com/bitstream.pdf
https://github.com/robinlinus/bitstream

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[vjudeu]

I wonder if it could be used to solve the mailing list issue, and store e-mails there.

[Yamane_Keto]

I read the white paper and it seems that reactivating OP_CAT will open the door to more construction on top of Layer 2 networks, specifically liquid.
Adding new capabilities to Bitcoin may be a good thing, but I prefer that the use of Bitcoin be limited to the concept of peer-to-peer payments.

I don't know why Blockstream is so enthusiastic about CAT, but I believe that Bitcoin's role should be limited to making peer-to-peer payments without the need for more additional things. https://medium.com/blockstream/cat-and-schnorr-tricks-i-faf1b59bd298

[cygan]

as already mentioned by @Yamane_Keto, the reactivation of OP_CAT and thus a soft fork is necessary first, as the necessary logical operations and other requirements could otherwise not be implemented. but perhaps the liquid sidechain will first find a useful use case with BitStream and thus an opportunity to expand the relatively low demand somewhat upwards. BitStream would also be compatible with ecash implementations such as FediMint or Cashu, and initial approaches have already been made. so the possibilities are already there today.

[Yamane_Keto]

While BitStream technically solve the problem, such popular content usually available (either legally or illegally) on centralized platform (e.g. people re-upload on Youtube) or P2P protocol (e.g. BitTorrent protocol).

The idea is not new and has been discussed in some alternative currencies before, but I think it is the first time it has been applied at the level of the Bitcoin protocol.
it can be implemented currently using pay-to-watch with a balance on the Lightning Network. You can open a channel and deposit several satoshis, as every few seconds equals one satoshi, and so on. You can watch the video and the amount will be deducted directly by the channel without the need to pay Bitcoin using on-chain payment or the need for a central balance.

It's not very efficient and i expect majority user would just use SPV client which ask list of file hosting server to certain server.

Yes it needs open-source Chaumian ecash system like https://github.com/cashubtc

[vjudeu]

I don't know why Blockstream is so enthusiastic about CAT

1. Because it is simple. If you look at the implementation, it is quite trivial. You just take two stack elements, and join them together.
2. Because it opens a lot of doors. Some of them are already mentioned on bitcointalk, but there are more of them, which will be discovered in the future.
3. Because many times, there was a case, that someone proposed something, and the conclusion was "we could do that, if OP_CAT would be there".

[HmmMAA]

I wonder how Robin Linus comes up with these idea. I briefly read paper and while it's interesting, there are few things that concerns me.

No need to wonder .
https://medium.com/coinmonks/netflix-over-bitcoin-payment-channels-ec55b3c242da ( December 2021 )

[stwenhao]

This article is based on nChain patent WO2020240297A1⁴.

Hmm, nChain? It sounds like BSV. Also the word "patent" could mean "please don't implement that, or we will sue you".

By the way, this is nothing new. It existed in the past, but it was just not standardized: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Payment_channels
See? The page from my link existed since 2016. And I guess on bitcointalk there could exist some even older topics about that.