Change is inevitable!

So the ancients say and so we've seen in the continuous evolution of technology to solve ever-multiplying human problems.

The information age is upon us, transforming every aspect of our daily lives. The internet has become a global tool for everyday life, with billions of people around the world surfing the web from the comfort of their homes on various kinds of devices. A time traveler from just a hundred years ago would assume the technology of today is magic, best believe.

But innovation never stops, right? Humans have continued to find ingenious ways to change the harsh society we evolved in into a much safer one for us and those who come after us. The everlasting wheels of progress have driven us to the birth of new technologies that are revolutionizing the global internet; this is blockchain technology or Web3.

The current internet is known as Web 2. It is a version of the internet dominated by centralized companies running dynamic websites and applications that enable user interaction. Social media giants like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc., and cloud titans like Google Cloud, Amazon AWS, and Microsoft Azure stand at the helm of Web 2 technology. However glorious Web 2 has come to be, though, it suffers from one fatal flaw: centralization.

Web 2 companies are centrally owned and managed. This means that an entire technology serving billions of people is completely subject to the agenda of a handful of corporations and personal interests. This is not the worst part. This centralization of the technology constitutes a great weakness for the entire system; a singular point of failure.

Come with me.

So IT runs on infrastructure, right? I mean the servers, masts, giant cables, satellites, etc. that power what we call the internet. Imagine how much that costs. Definitely too much for the regular Joe on the street, right? Well, very few people can actually afford to set up this infrastructure for platforms like cloud technology. Hence, the industry is already monopolized by money.

This is beside the fact, though, that the main issue is how vulnerable this centralized infrastructure makes the entire system. A single problem in the server, wiring, or software can bring down the entire system. Hence, all that work to make the world a global village can be undone with one single breach.

Crazy right? Picture Dormammu - a world-dominating entity - trapped in a time loop.

For those who don't understand the the reference, dormamu is a world eating villain from the Avengers series in the first doctor strange movie. After consuming many planets, dormamu sets its murderous eyes on earth to swallow it and at first sight seems rather unstoppable. However, Dr. Strange stops the monster by with a simple magic trick of trapping it in a time loop. A rather ridiculous ending if you ask me.

So what's the way forward, you may ask? Do we just sit and surf the web, risking our great online arena to one single breach yet to come? Of course not, that's not what people do, right? People find a way.

Web 3 to the rescue.

Inspired by the dangers of centralized impunity in the finance industry, i.e., the 2008 financial crisis, Web 3 technology was developed by Satoshi Nakamoto to specifically tackle this centralization issue. He leveraged a decentralized public ledger known as the blockchain to create a new internet of sorts, which is becoming rather mainstream.

Web 3 infrastructure runs on a decentralized network of nodes, distributed around the world. This constitutes a network that will definitely overcome Dormammu’s bane if you ask me, i.e., there's no singular point of failure. Even if one node is compromised, others are still active and will keep the network up and running. Way to make lemonade.

Well, problem solved, right? Web 3 is the way; all web 2 companies should just adopt web 3 infrastructure so you can peacefully scroll through TikTok endlessly.

No…

How about the ginormously expensive infrastructure already in place for Web 2? You just pack them up somewhere and move on? Doesn't work like that. Aside from centralization, web 2 infrastructure also has some advantages that web 3 is yet to catch up with. An example is that the technology is rather more established, hence, easily more maintainable. So, how do you solve the centralization vulnerability without the great loss of web 2 infrastructure?

Enter the DePin Philosophy!

As the name suggests, DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) merges decentralized technology with physical infrastructure, creating new opportunities for efficiency, security, and global accessibility. DePIN, or Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, is a concept where blockchain technology is applied to manage and operate physical infrastructure. Unlike traditional infrastructure systems, controlled by governments or private entities, DePIN uses decentralized networks to distribute control among participants.

For example, rather than a telecom provider owning a network of cell towers, a DePIN project could allow individual operators to host nodes that form a collective network. This approach enhances inclusivity and minimizes single points of failure. The magic of DePIN lies in its integration of blockchain’s decentralized nature with tangible infrastructure.

Welcome to the Aleph Supercloud.

Aleph Supercloud is a Web3 network, providing infrastructure for decentralized storage, compute, and AI. Built on hundreds of globally distributed nodes, it powers scalable and resilient applications for Web3, DeFi, AI, and gaming industries. Developers rely on Aleph for high-performance resources across networks like Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, and Avalanche. Aleph also provides a blockchain indexing framework, allowing developers to index data from any blockchain network by leveraging the network's decentralized storage and compute capabilities.

Aleph provides a robust infrastructure for DePIN, which we’ll explore further.

Aleph Decentralized Infrastructure Network

Aleph is an open-source off-chain P2P (peer-to-peer) network. It offers a decentralized key-value store, file storage, function execution, and virtual machine provisioning. Interactions with the network rely on decentralized identities that are interoperable with many major blockchain networks, such as Ethereum, Tezos, and Solana.

The Aleph.im project has the following components:

The Aleph.im network is composed of 2 sets of nodes:

Core Channel Nodes

Aleph.im Core Channel Nodes are the fundamental building blocks of the aleph.im decentralized network, which provides a secure, decentralized, and censorship-resistant platform for various types of data storage and messaging services. The core channel nodes are responsible for maintaining the integrity, security, and reliability of the network by processing and validating transactions, storing and sharing data, and ensuring consensus among the participating nodes.

These nodes are crucial for the seamless operation of aleph.im as they enable various functionalities, such as cross-chain communication, data storage, and data indexing. They facilitate the exchange of information between different blockchain networks and allow developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) that leverage the power of aleph.im.

The core channel nodes are designed to be highly scalable and fault-tolerant, ensuring that the aleph.im network remains operational even in the face of adversarial conditions or network failures. They are governed by a set of protocols and consensus algorithms that incentivize honest behavior and discourage malicious actions.

Moreover, aleph.im core channel nodes are operated by a diverse set of participants, including individuals, organizations, and developers, which helps ensure the decentralization and security of the network. To become a compute resource node, participants need to stake ALEPH tokens, which serve as a form of collateral to ensure that the node operators remain honest and provide reliable services. Node operators are rewarded with ALEPH tokens for their contribution to the network, which further motivates them to maintain

Hardware requirements

Compute Resource Nodes

Aleph.im compute resource nodes (CRN) are decentralized computing infrastructure components that form a vital part of the aleph.im network. These nodes work collectively to provide distributed and secure computing power, storage, and other resources to users and applications on the platform.

Compute resource nodes are designed to support a wide range of tasks, including off-chain smart contract execution, decentralized application (dApp) hosting, and decentralized file storage. These nodes enable users to access and utilize decentralized computing resources without relying on centralized servers or cloud providers, ensuring better privacy, security, and control over their data and applications.

In return for their contributions, node operators are rewarded with ALEPH tokens, creating an incentive system for maintaining a healthy and robust ecosystem.

The aleph.im network relies on a peer-to-peer architecture, where compute resource nodes communicate with each other to share information and coordinate tasks. This architecture ensures that the network remains resilient against single points of failure, as the removal of one node does not impact the overall functioning of the system.

Furthermore, aleph.im employs advanced cryptographic techniques and consensus algorithms to ensure that the compute resource nodes

Hardware requirements

Tools in the Aleph Infrastructure

Aleph.im offers a wide range of tools and services to help you build decentralized applications. Whether you need decentralized storage, compute power, or web3 integration, Aleph.im has you covered. Let's explore the key features and potential use cases of Aleph.im's infrastructure.

Compute Power

Storage

Web3 Integration

Aleph Cloud Supported Chains

The support of a chain consists of the functionalities below. The support of a chain may be partial when only some of these functionalities are supported.

Aleph DePin for Global Connectivity - Reaching Underserved Regions

While we've greatly dwelt on the security concerns of traditional centralized systems, another limitation of these systems we're yet to explore is scalability/reach. We are in the information age and the world is supposed to be a global village. However, the limitations of centralized web 2 infrastructure (e.g., huge cost of network masts and cabling) greatly hinders its potential for global connectivity.

For example, certain remote areas of the world remain underserved by web 2 internet access.

Examples of such areas include;

This is another problem to be solved by the Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN). Imagine adopting individually operated blockchain nodes in those underserved communities and integrating them with the general internet. It would be a great application of DePin.

Aleph Supercloud infrastructure is more than capable of handling this connectivity problem in underserved communities.

Aleph DePIN versus Centralized Infrastructure

Conclusion

Web 2 infrastructure is limited by factors like security (single point of failure), cost, and scalability, prompting the development of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN).


Aleph Supercloud features an exceptional DePIN you can't afford to miss.