Storj - The Decentralized Way Of Storing And Retrieving Your Data

Introduction

Storing and retrieving of data have become issues of concern, particularly in this era where large data are rolled out on a daily basis. Some people have lost valuable data to the traditional centralized data storage and retrieval systems that we have been used to. More so, there is a limit to how long data can be store in centralized data storage systems without loss of data. Here, there is a way data can be stored immutably in a decentralized platform; I'm talking about Storj (also called Tardigrade.io).

Overview of Storj

Storj is decentralized data storage platform that was created by Shawn Wilkison with the purpose of providing an easy, efficient, cost-effective and fast storage, transfer and retrieval of data. You will agree with me that the traditional storage platforms you are familiar with (like your hard disk) stores data in the same format they are inputed, which makes them susceptible to attacks. To make Storj very secure, data that are stored are first shredded into various units, encrypted independently of each other and stored in various blocks (or nodes) that are spread across the world - this offers maximum protection to your data.

In simple terms, Storj (Tardigrade) is a cloud storage that is shared by everyone but your files are saved in encrypted format which only the owner of the data has the keys to access them. This places the absolute safety of files in your hands. Remember this; the safety of any file stored in blockchain is guaranteed only if your are in possession of your keys - with Storj, you are the only one in possession of your keys.

More so, because the various encrypted parts of your files are saved in various nodes, it increases the ease of access and retrieval. For example, in a centralized data storage system, a glitch or hitch in the server hosting your files may result in inaccessibility of your data. In Storj, however, because the files are not located in just one location, if a node is down, it does not affect the accessibility of the file - this is one of the benefits of saving data in blockchain.

Mechanics of Storj

Storj protocol is made up of various stages and various mechanics are also involved. We will take a look at these mechanics.

• Shredding (splitting) of data: Just like it has been earlier mentioned, each file that is saved in Storj blockchain is first broken into tiny pieces which will be distributed and hosted in various nodes all at the same time. This means that the actions are performed in real-time and at the speed of blockchain. The benefits of shredding data is for security and immunity to hacking. For a hack to be successful, the hacker must hack every node where the shredded files are saved - which is almost impossible.

• Data encryption: - One of the qualities of blockchain is encryption, without an exception of Storj. After the shredding of the files, they will be encrypted using special mathematical algorithms. Upon retrieval, the encrypted files will be decrypted so as to merge the data and present then in what you can understand.

• Saving and Retrievability: Well, you will not call any platform a storage device if you cannot retrieve any data from it. Storj does not only store your files but provides and easy and fast way by which your data are retrieved.

The internal ecosystem of Storj is powered by an ERC-20 token called STORJ token which is currently trading on major exchanges like Binance. Every activity you perform within the ecosystem of Storj (including allocation of storage space, etc) is powered by STORJ token.

Getting started with Storj

_{Screenshot by me; @samminator}

The user interface of Storj is so simplified that one does not have to be an expert in blockchain or data management to use it. Just go to Storj portal which will lead you to Tardigrade where you can sign up for your account. Alternatively, you can go straight to Tardigrade.io and sign up to get started. Believe me, you will not want to save your data in centralized systems again when you can easily, cost-effectively and immutably save them on blockchain.

For web developers and web owners, Storj also has an Application Programmable Interface (API) which you can easily embed into your website so that users can access the services provided by Storj right from the website. To have a video overview of what Storj represents, here's a video for you.

Conclusion and Remark

First of all, I will give a thumbs-up to the creators of Storj for the idea to provide a robust platform where data can be saved and retrieved conveniently and easily. Storj has also incorporated a protocol that allows users to sublet part of the storage space that they have acquired on Storj and at a price agreed by the parties involved. On the other hand, it will be good if Storj integrates an internal exchange where STORJ tokens can be traded for other cryptocurrencies without having to leave the platform, this will increase the adoption of the platform. On the overall, I give Storj a 4/5 rating.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is not meant to serve as financial advice, please do your own research.