mirror of
https://github.com/ipdb/website.git
synced 2024-11-13 16:54:50 +01:00
76 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
76 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
|
# IPDB FAQ
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
## About IPDB
|
|||
|
|
### What is IPDB?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB is the Interplanetary Database. It’s a public blockchain database for the world. Think of IPDB as being the database for a decentralized world computer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Who owns IPDB?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB is operated by the IPDB Foundation, a charitable organization registered in Berlin, Germany. IPDB has a number of member organizations, or Caretakers, who provide consensus voting and input on governance.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How is IPDB funded?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB Foundation is currently funded by ascribe GmbH, but plans to become self-sufficient by selling transactions on IPDB.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
## Caretakers
|
|||
|
|
### What do Caretakers do?
|
|||
|
|
Caretakers play critical roles in IPDB’s operation and governance (see “How does consensus work on IPDB?”). In addition to voting on transactions, Caretakers vote to approve new Caretakers and to select the IPDB Foundation’s board of directors.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How are Caretakers chosen?
|
|||
|
|
Caretakers can apply or be nominated. Existing Caretakers vote to approve new Caretakers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Who can become a Caretaker?
|
|||
|
|
Caretakers are organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to building or protecting an open, decentralized Internet. A majority of Caretakers must always be not-for-profit organizations. Caretakers are chosen to reflect a diversity of roles, geographical locations, and jurisdictions.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Who are the current Caretakers?
|
|||
|
|
The current Caretakers are:
|
|||
|
|
- [ascribe GmbH](https://www.ascribe.io/)
|
|||
|
|
- [Coala Global](http://coala.global/)
|
|||
|
|
- [Consensys](https://consensys.net/)
|
|||
|
|
- [Decentralized Autonomous Society](https://www.facebook.com/groups/579940655425355/)
|
|||
|
|
- [Ethcore](https://ethcore.io/)
|
|||
|
|
- [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/)
|
|||
|
|
- [IPFS](https://ipfs.io/) ([Protocol Labs, Inc.](http://ipn.io/))
|
|||
|
|
- [OpenMedia](https://openmedia.org/)
|
|||
|
|
- [OuiShare](http://ouishare.net/en)
|
|||
|
|
- [SmartContract](http://smartcontract.com/)
|
|||
|
|
- [Tendermint](http://tendermint.com/)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Can my organization be a Caretaker?
|
|||
|
|
Maybe! If you think you’re a good fit, contact us.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
## Using IPDB
|
|||
|
|
### Who can use IPDB?
|
|||
|
|
Anyone can use IPDB. You
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How do I use IPDB?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB is based on BigchainDB. You can learn about using the IPDB client API on the BigchainDB documentation page.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How much does it cost to use IPDB?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB will start out being free to everyone. Eventually IPDB will start charging its heaviest users. IPDB will stay free for most users, but we have to cover our costs somehow. We think it’s fair to have the heaviest users pay the cost while most people play for free.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How much *will* it cost?
|
|||
|
|
We don’t know yet, but we intend to keep it really cheap. Cheap as in orders of magnitude cheaper than other blockchains or payment networks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
## Technical
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### What technology does IPDB use?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB is a public instance of [BigchainDB](https://www.bigchaindb.com/), a scalable blockchain database built on top of [RethinkDB](https://www.rethinkdb.com/), a big data database.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Is it open source?
|
|||
|
|
Both [BigchainDB](https://github.com/bigchaindb/bigchaindb) and [RethinkDB](https://github.com/rethinkdb/rethinkdb) are open source.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How does consensus work on IPDB?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB operates under a federated model of consensus. Rather than allowing anyone to join the network in a proof-of-work model, IPDB relies on a number of trusted entities called Caretakers. The Caretakers vote on all transactions on the network, and transactions approved by the majority are added to the database.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Why is IPDB better than a normal database?
|
|||
|
|
For certain use cases, IPDB is better than a traditional database. IPDB brings blockchain characteristics to a proven big data database. Those characteristics are: 1) decentralized control, 2) immutability, 3) [Sybil tolerance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_attack), 4) native assets, and 5) native asset transfer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Can other people see my transactions?
|
|||
|
|
Yes. Anyone can see your transactions on IPDB. If you want something like IPDB but want your transactions to be private, you can run a private instance of BigchainDB.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### How is IPDB better than IPFS, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Dogecoin…?
|
|||
|
|
IPDB is not a replacement for decetralized computation platforms such as Ethereum, file storage from IPFS, or cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Dogecoin. IPDB is complimentary to them.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### Can IPDB talk to Ethereum? Bitcoin? Dogecoin? Random other coin?
|
|||
|
|
Yes! Some of these integrations already exist for BigchainDB. Some are waiting to be created. If you want to help out you can head over to the BigchainDB developer community at Github.
|
|||
|
|
|