Blockstack: Decentralized browser concept with Bitcoin

The use of blockchains eliminates infrastructure and data retention ... in theory

In a normal browsing session, the information can pass through several servers before arriving at their destination, and so the possibility is set up that someone in the middle or at the end pick it up for their own benefit. The idea of decentralizing our Web experience and avoiding that is not new. The BitTorrent people tried to implement it with their now-defunct Maelstrom project, but in Blockstack they are willing to pick up the torch by developing a browser that uses blockchains.

Our dependence on the cloud is increasing. The big names in the market continue to integrate hyperconnected services, which in some cases involves placing more personal information on remote servers, or alternatively, circulating through them. Some of the benefits are very interesting (for example, dump automatic backups in Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive), but in the background there are details that generate many doubts. The creation and analysis of profiles, personalized advertising, the Big Data that does not stop to claim data and all the security breaches make us think of parallel options. One of them is the decentralization, vital in spaces like the exchange of files and the criptomonedas, with Bitcoin at the head. The big question is: How can a decentralization system be implemented in front of a dynamic web that changes every second?

The challenge is enormous: Decentralized Internet, in which we control our information

The Blockstack project wants to try, and its strategy is reduced to using blockchains. "It comes down" may sound a bit unfair, because Blockstack has accumulated almost four years of development, but its managers decided to make the formal announcement now. Technically, the initial version of Blockstack is intended for developers interested in creating apps that work in a decentralized way, and in fact is not even a complete browser. The code presents an extension compatible with Chrome, Safari and Firefox, as long as the operating systems are MacOS or Linux (the Windows build will be available later).

In other words, the concept is still very green. In fact I dare to suggest that it has months of work ahead (more than six suggested), since it also depends on external developers, but those developers are not mages to say. Decentralization works very well for specific services, and blockchains have proven robust, however tempting the idea of ​​receiving page or service data using multiple sources without touching servers under corporate control, there are major challenges Which must be resolved. Still, I hope they succeed, and that Blockstack will become a faster, safer, and private alternative when sailing.

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