Alisa Davidson
Printed: October 01, 2025 at 8:10 am Up to date: October 01, 2025 at 8:10 am
Edited and fact-checked:
October 01, 2025 at 8:10 am
In Transient
DeNet is constructing a completely decentralized, scalable storage protocol that empowers customers with knowledge sovereignty, helps private, enterprise, and AI/IoT use instances, and goals to supply a safe basis for the way forward for Web3.
Decentralized storage is a transformative strategy to knowledge administration that distributes info throughout a community of impartial nodes, reasonably than counting on centralized servers. This methodology enhances safety by encrypting and fragmenting knowledge, guaranteeing that solely the proprietor retains entry by personal keys. By shifting management from firms to people, decentralized storage empowers customers to reclaim possession of their knowledge, aligning with the broader Web3 ethos of decentralization and consumer sovereignty.
In an interview with Mpost, Daniil Maslov, Companion at DeNet shared the origins, mission, and way forward for DeNet, detailing how the protocol offers decentralized, safe, and user-controlled knowledge storage whereas addressing technical challenges, supporting enterprise and AI use instances, and contributing to the broader Web3 ecosystem.
DeNet launched again in 2017, lengthy earlier than “DePIN” grew to become a buzzword. What was the unique spark behind constructing a decentralized storage protocol?
The concept for DeNet got here from our co-founder, Denis Shelestov. At simply 10 years outdated, he was already eager about the hazards of knowledge leaks and hacks — and the shortage of actual privateness on-line. Your knowledge could be stolen, bought, or misplaced daily, merely due to how centralized storage works. As soon as info is shared on-line, it’s not really yours — third events can entry it at any time, leaving customers uncovered and weak.
The breakthrough got here when Denis tried internet hosting a easy web site from his private laptop computer. That sparked a thought: what if web sites may very well be hosted securely throughout private units all around the world?
The unique concept was to create a decentralized internet hosting resolution. But it surely shortly grew to become clear that it wouldn’t work and not using a dependable decentralized storage layer. That’s how the idea developed into DeNet. At present, DeNet is a decentralized storage protocol that makes use of unused cupboard space around the globe to supply safe, user-controlled knowledge storage.
How do you see DeNet’s mission of restoring knowledge possession becoming into the broader Web3 motion?
Our mission helps convey Web3 to life. Many nonetheless assume it’s solely about cryptocurrency, nevertheless it’s far more than that. At its core, Web3 is about reclaiming management — over your property, your id, your repute. And all of it begins together with your knowledge. For those who don’t management your knowledge, you don’t really personal something on-line.
At present, info is extra priceless than the Bitcoin in your pockets. It’s the brand new forex — and DeNet provides customers the instruments to actually personal it.
In your view, what position will decentralized storage play within the subsequent wave of digital infrastructure in comparison with conventional cloud giants like AWS or Google Cloud?
Cloud storage has confirmed that knowledge could be saved in a approach that’s handy, accessible, and scalable. However decentralized storage takes it a step additional — providing a stage of safety that makes your knowledge unattainable to compromise. This isn’t nearly people’ privateness — it’s about defending delicate info at each stage, from people to governments.
The world is transferring in direction of multipolarity. Many nations are constructing their very own companies and AI fashions inside nationwide borders. On this context, the place delicate knowledge is saved — and who can entry it — turns into a essential concern. Conventional cloud infrastructure usually falls brief in terms of each safety and adaptability. However DeNet affords actual knowledge sovereignty for B2C, B2B and B2G.
In fact, centralized cloud storage gained’t disappear — similar to USB drives nonetheless exist. And we’re not making an attempt to exchange it. However the world wants a stronger, smarter infrastructure layer — and DeNet is able to ship it.
What had been the largest technical challenges you confronted whereas constructing a decentralized storage protocol?
The most important problem is constructing totally decentralized storage that’s truly straightforward to make use of — the place customers can add, transfer, or delete recordsdata freely, with out counting on third events. DeNet solves this by a protocol powered by clear, verifiable algorithms.
The system is constructed round two key elements: Datakeepers and Watcher Nodes. When a file is uploaded, it’s mechanically break up into encrypted chunks and distributed throughout a community of trusted Datakeepers. Watcher Nodes act as validators — they monitor the community to make sure every file has sufficient copies. If redundancy drops, they mechanically set off the creation of recent copies to maintain the info secure and at all times recoverable.
At present, the community contains over 2,100 energetic Datakeepers and over 2 million cell Watcher nodes. Every Datakeeper proves their reliability by buying a license, which prevents low-quality nodes from flooding the system. In addition they construct a repute rating over time — if their efficiency drops, they danger being faraway from the community.
The protocol is blockchain-agnostic by design, enabling just about limitless scalability. Not launching our personal chain was a deliberate strategic resolution — it lets us concentrate on fixing actual issues as a substitute of duplicating current infrastructure.
How does DeNet obtain a self-stabilizing storage value, and the way is that this mannequin completely different from risky token-based pricing seen in different Web3 protocols?
To entry storage, customers must buy TBY utility tokens. One TBY at all times equals 1 terabyte of storage for 1 yr — for instance, with 1 TBY you’ll be able to retailer 1 TB for a yr, or 500 MB for 2 years. It’s used each to pay for storage and to reward node operators.
The important thing level is that the worth of storage stays secure, even when the token value fluctuates. A wise contract mechanically adjusts the market value of TBY based mostly on provide and demand — however the utility stays fastened: 1 TBY = 1 TB per yr, at all times.
In another protocols, customers are depending on the worth of the undertaking’s token. Its value adjustments based mostly on market hypothesis, which makes storage prices unstable and unpredictable. DeNet avoids that drawback with a utility-first strategy.
Which use case do you see driving adoption first—private knowledge storage, enterprise options, or AI/IoT integrations?
DeNet can already be used for all of those instances. The primary distinction lies in scale and integration complexity.
We began with private knowledge storage — and there are already over 15 million consumer recordsdata secured.This wasn’t only a technical resolution — it displays our core mission to return management and privateness to customers. Beginning with the tip consumer was the pure first step — and at the moment, our cell app has over 5 million customers.
Enterprise and AI/IoT use instances require a distinct stage of infrastructure as a result of sheer quantity of knowledge concerned. That’s why our current focus has been on scaling the community itself — growing the variety of energetic Datakeepers and Watcher Nodes to make sure the system can reliably retailer and validate knowledge at enterprise scale.
How do you see DeNet supporting delicate industries like healthcare or finance, the place compliance and laws are strict?
Industries like healthcare and finance want safe storage greater than anybody — and our protocol is constructed to satisfy these wants. Compliance could be achieved by deploying DeNet throughout the borders of a selected nation and even inside a single group.
Within the newest model of DeNet Storage Protocol, we’ve launched node swimming pools — teams of Datakeeper nodes that function as a single unit. These swimming pools could be deployed based mostly on geographic or regulatory wants, making it doable to satisfy native compliance necessities.
Might DeNet turn into the default storage layer for AI coaching datasets, and if that’s the case, what benefits wouldn’t it convey in comparison with centralized choices?
Certainly, DeNet can already be used for that goal at the moment. There are a number of key benefits.
First — scalability. AI requires huge quantities of knowledge to coach and develop. Centralized methods are restricted in scalability, however a decentralized community with a enough variety of nodes can deal with this load simply.
Second — independence. With DeNet, firms and governments can retailer datasets, prepare, and run their very own fashions and AI brokers on distributed methods that may’t be shut down centrally. That is particularly essential in an period the place AI equals aggressive benefit.
Third — consumer privateness. The difficulty of knowledge safety in AI is turning into extra pressing: when somebody uploads knowledge to a chat, who truly will get entry to it later? For those who construct AI on decentralized storage, the atmosphere turns into personal by design. Customers know that nobody will entry their well being data or company information — and that builds actual belief.
Many protocols declare decentralization, however usually depend on hidden central factors of management. How does DeNet keep away from falling into this entice?
There are lots of nuances right here that it’s arduous to level to a single cause. Normally, decentralized storage is extremely advanced to implement — it requires transferring away from conventional instruments and frameworks, in addition to constructing a neighborhood of really devoted and dependable contributors.
Every protocol takes its personal strategy to fixing these challenges. We selected the more durable path — constructing a really decentralized protocol from the bottom up with out counting on current options. It’s taken years of labor and dedication, and even now, there’s nonetheless room to develop.
If DeNet succeeds in scaling globally, what is going to the world of knowledge storage appear to be in 2030?
With the widespread adoption of decentralized storage, customers will lastly have full management over their knowledge. At present, firms extract worth from private info with out significant consent. DeNet adjustments that. Customers will determine who can entry their knowledge and on what phrases. They are going to even have the choice to monetize their knowledge by sharing it to coach AI fashions, for instance.
Safety will attain a completely new stage. So long as your personal keys stay safe, your knowledge might be utterly inaccessible. Cybercrime will decline, and the web will turn into a a lot safer house.
As extra nations development towards digital isolation and censorship, constructing a world web on decentralized infrastructure is the one approach to put it aside.
Past storage, do you see DeNet increasing into different DePIN companies, similar to decentralized computing or networking, to finish the infrastructure stack?
We now have a long-term technique to construct a full ecosystem round our storage protocol. There’s already a cell app, a decentralized app retailer, and NFT storage constructed on prime of it — with extra companies on the way in which.
We’re additionally planning to launch an SDK by the tip of the yr to make improvement simpler and extra accessible — opening the door for impartial builders and Web3 lovers to construct on prime of DeNet. Our protocol is a common software for making a freer, decentralized web — and we invite everybody to construct that future collectively.
Disclaimer
Consistent with the Belief Venture tips, please be aware that the knowledge offered on this web page is just not meant to be and shouldn’t be interpreted as authorized, tax, funding, monetary, or some other type of recommendation. You will need to solely make investments what you’ll be able to afford to lose and to hunt impartial monetary recommendation when you have any doubts. For additional info, we advise referring to the phrases and situations in addition to the assistance and assist pages offered by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is dedicated to correct, unbiased reporting, however market situations are topic to vary with out discover.
About The Creator
Alisa, a devoted journalist on the MPost, makes a speciality of cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a eager eye for rising tendencies and applied sciences, she delivers complete protection to tell and interact readers within the ever-evolving panorama of digital finance.
Extra articles
Alisa, a devoted journalist on the MPost, makes a speciality of cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a eager eye for rising tendencies and applied sciences, she delivers complete protection to tell and interact readers within the ever-evolving panorama of digital finance.
Extra articles
