Implementing a Decentralized Application Using IPFS

In this chapter, we are going to combine a smart contract with the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to build a decentralized video-sharing application (similar to YouTube but decentralized). We will use a web application as the front end for the blockchain and IPFS. As stated previously, IPFS is not a blockchain technology – it is a decentralized technology. However, in a blockchain forum, meetup, or tutorial, you may hear IPFS being mentioned quite often. One of the main reasons for this is that IPFS overcomes the weakness of blockchain, which is that its storage is very expensive. After finishing this chapter, you will be able to create a blockchain application that still maintains the advantages of blockchain (transparency, censorship resistance, and so on) while using storage. You’ll understand how to link between data in storage and values in smart contracts.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics...