A decentralized web is a step closer to becoming a reality, now that Brave has integrated the peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol IPFS into its browser.
For the past few months, the company has been working with Protocol Labs to add InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) support to its browser.
IPFS offers a number of advantages over the dominant HTTP standard, including lower bandwidth costs, decentralization and data integrity, access to censored content, and performance enhancements. By integrating the new protocol into its browser, Brave users will also have access to previously viewed content, even if they are offline.
CTO and co-founder of Brave, Brian Bondy, explained in a press release why native IPFS integration in the browser would be important for content creators.
“We are delighted to be the first browser to offer IPFS integration with today’s Brave desktop. IPFS offers Brave’s more than 1 million verified content creators the ability to seamlessly serve content to millions of new users worldwide through a new and secure protocol. IPFS’s innovative content address uses Content Identifiers (CIDs) to form an address based on the content itself, as opposed to data retrieval based on a server’s address. The integration of the IPFS open-source network is an important milestone in making the web more transparent, decentralized and resilient. ”
IPFS bravely
With the release of version 1.19 of its desktop, Brave’s 24m active monthly users will now be able to access content directly from IPFS.
This can be done by using a gateway or installing a complete IPFS node with one click. However, by installing a full node, Brave users can upload content over IPFS’s p2p network hosted on their own node.
When IPFS is set to use a local node, the protocol will keep the scheme (ipfs or ipns) in the address bar and you can always trust the local node to verify the contents of content identifiers (CIDs) that are accessed. At the same time, a local node also contributes to the strength of the IPFS network.
Using a third-party port is another way to access content directly from IPFS. This option is preferred for users who do not want to load an IPFS node on their local computer.
While Brave has added IPFS integration to its desktop browser, the company is also actively working on supporting its mobile browsers, while Android support is planned first.