Sia is a decentralized cloud storage platform similar in concept to Dropbox and other centralized storage provider where instead of renting storage space from a centralized entity, clients rent storage space from other peers. The only difference is Sia uses blockchain to facilitate transactions Nodes provide storage to clients using the Sia blockchain as contracts. Before storing the data, the data is encrypted into many pieces and uploaded to different hosts. Siacoin is created by David Vorick and Luke Champine of Nebulous Inc. As the traditional storage platforms are higher in cost, more expensive and data is not well protected. Siacoin promises to offer secured storage transactions with smart contracts which is more affordable and reliable. Moreover, it is completely open source which means many individuals have contributed to Siacoin’s software hence there will be an active community building innovative applications on top if the Sia API. In 2018, Siacoin aims to introduce file sharing and be the go-to cloud storage platform for companies. Their goal is divided into 3 time frames which are short-term, medium-term and long-term development. Short-term development focuses on file sharing between Sia users. This allows Sia users to share files in the platform without having to take it off the cloud while increasing network utilization. Medium-term development’s goal is to enhance partnerships. This means reaching out to large companies like Netflix and Dropbox to hopefully be able to be their storage and distribution framework. Lastly, long-term development aims to expand its horizon to share files with non-Sia users and support mobile wallets.
Contentos is a decentralized global content ecosystem invested by Binance Labs (the blockchain incubator of world’s largest exchange, https://labs.binance.com), DHVC and various class-leading funds. Contentos TestNet was launched and its real-time network status can be viewed on Contentos Block Explorer (https://explorer.contentos.io). It aims to create a decentralized content ecosystem, where assets can be freely produced, authenticated, and distributed. The team consists of experts from the content industry, who have worked on top-tier consumer applications and blockchain projects. Contentos is not only a blueprint for what digital content ecosystem might look like in the future but we have multiple working use cases: Contentos is working with strategic partners, LiveMe and Cheetah Mobile, that have amassed over 60+ million monthly active users. With real-time user feedback, Contentos will become a premier blockchain project as it places the interest of users first.