Key Takeaways
- Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) are gaining traction due to their decentralized storage approach. By distributing data across multiple nodes, they offer advantages over traditional cloud storage systems.
- Acurast, in partnership with the University of Zürich’s Communication Systems Group (CSG), researched on leveraging smartphones’ resources to power a decentralized serverless cloud network.
- The research suggests a significant transformation in managing digital infrastructures towards scalable, secure, and sustainable models, potentially reshaping future computing needs.
Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) are gaining traction as a substitute for cloud storage and other traditional systems. This is because DePINs offer a decentralized approach to data storage, distributing information across a network of individual storage points.
This system disrupts traditional wireless networks by creating a democratic internet using a distributed network of hotspots. It also facilitates the way for decentralized sensor networks, allowing for faster, more efficient, and more accurate data collection. It can also create a platform for the decentralized trading or allocation of energy resources.
These capabilities are made possible by integrating blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) within its framework, ensuring data sovereignty, diminishing dependence on centralized models, and mitigating system failures.
Acurast
Seeing a chance to leverage the power of unused resources in smartphones, Acurast partnered with researchers at the University of Zürich’s Communication Systems Group (CSG) to investigate how Acurast’s technology can optimize these resources and create a decentralized, serverless cloud network.
The research titled, “Performance Analysis of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks and Centralized Clouds,” assessed Acurast’s platform by evaluating its ability to handle complex computing tasks and comparing it to the traditional, centralized cloud storage model.
Results
The research found that Acurast outperformed leading cloud platforms like Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in handling computationally demanding tasks. Notably, this achievement was accomplished while maintaining data privacy within the network.
Its serverless protocol also demonstrably consumes much less energy than centralized systems. Furthermore, the research paper provided empirical data substantiating the theoretical advantages of DePINs.
Jan von der Assen, a Ph.D. student and junior researcher with the Communication Systems Group at the University of Zürich, remarked, “The advent of decentralized technologies presents a unique opportunity to rethink how we manage and operate digital infrastructures.”
He added, “Acurast not only challenges the status quo but may also present a scalable, secure, and sustainable model for future computing needs.”
Final Thoughts
The paper is accessible via multiple channels. It can be accessed through Acurast and the Communication Systems Group of UZH and has also been published by Cornell University. Furthermore, it will be a focal point of discussion at the upcoming International Conference on Blockchain Technology (ICBC) 2024, scheduled to take place in Dublin, Ireland, from May 27th to 31st, 2024.
