NFT Storage

The main issue is when NFTs are using centralized storage for storing NFT content file. This issue breaks NFTs in terms of some NFTs stored on a centralized server (for example, AWS) may not display the NFT content correctly.

NFT Storage comparison spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X7LH0f0UcO307Cc4fJDXRwNonMnHescNwnyhU_eW_Pw/edit?usp=sharing

IPFS CID

CID = content identifier "A content identifier, or CID, is a label used to point to material in IPFS. It doesn't indicate where the content is stored, but it forms a kind of address based on the content itself. CIDs are short, regardless of the size of their underlying content.

CIDs are based on the content’s cryptographic hash. That means:

Any difference in the content will produce a different CID and The same content added to two different IPFS nodes using the same settings will produce the same CID."

"Adding data to IPFS produces a content identifier (CID) that's directly derived from the data itself and links to the data in the IPFS network. Because a CID can only ever refer to one piece of content, we know that nobody can replace or alter the content without breaking the link."

Arweave

Permanent data storage, storing data forever. Has incetivised with tokenomics and node running infrastructure.

IPFS

Decentralised peer-to-peer data file storage network. Using CIDs which acts as permanent record of your file that it exists at that point in time.

Further Reading

• How IPFS helps NFTs: https://docs.ipfs.io/how-to/mint-nfts-with-ipfs/#a-short-introduction-to-nfts

• Free decentralized storage and bandwidth for NFTs on IPFS and Filecoin https://nft.storage/#getting-started

• The Future of DataDAOs https://filecoin.io/blog/posts/the-future-of-datadaos/

• Meet Metadata Guardians Trying to Make Your NFT Collection Available 100 Years from Now https://rarible.medium.com/meet-metadata-guardians-trying-to-make-your-nft-collection-available-100-years-from-now-60a18baeed6c

IPFS Use case:

• https://medium.com/pinata/an-ipfs-use-case-6c46349cb1

• IPFS CID: https://docs.ipfs.io/concepts/content-addressing/#cid-conversion

• Arweave: https://www.arweave.org/

• Learn more about Arweave: https://medium.com/search?q=arweave

• IPFS: https://ipfs.tech/

• Filecoin: https://filecoin.io/

• Lighthouse: https://files.lighthouse.storage/