DeNet Shares Vision For Scaling Decentralized Storage, AI Integration, And The Future Of Data Sovereignty

by
Alisa Davidson

Revealed: October 01, 2025 at 8:10 am Up to date: October 01, 2025 at 8:10 am

by Ana

Edited and fact-checked:
October 01, 2025 at 8:10 am

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Decentralized storage is a transformative method to information administration that distributes info throughout a community of impartial nodes, slightly than counting on centralized servers. This technique enhances safety by encrypting and fragmenting information, making certain that solely the proprietor retains entry via personal keys. By shifting management from firms to people, decentralized storage empowers customers to reclaim possession of their information, aligning with the broader Web3 ethos of decentralization and consumer sovereignty.

In an interview with Mpost, Daniil Maslov, Companion at DeNet shared the origins, mission, and way forward for DeNet, detailing how the protocol supplies decentralized, safe, and user-controlled information storage whereas addressing technical challenges, supporting enterprise and AI use instances, and contributing to the broader Web3 ecosystem.

DeNet launched again in 2017, lengthy earlier than “DePIN” grew to become a buzzword. What was the unique spark behind constructing a decentralized storage protocol?

The thought for DeNet got here from our co-founder, Denis Shelestov. At simply 10 years previous, he was already interested by the hazards of knowledge leaks and hacks — and the shortage of actual privateness on-line. Your information might be stolen, bought, or misplaced daily, merely due to how centralized storage works. As soon as info is shared on-line, it’s not really yours — third events can entry it at any time, leaving customers uncovered and susceptible.

The breakthrough got here when Denis tried internet hosting a easy web site from his private laptop computer. That sparked a thought: what if web sites may very well be hosted securely throughout private gadgets everywhere in the world?

The unique concept was to create a decentralized internet hosting resolution. However it shortly grew to become clear that it wouldn’t work and not using a dependable decentralized storage layer. That’s how the idea advanced into DeNet. At this time, DeNet is a decentralized storage protocol that makes use of unused space for storing around the globe to supply safe, user-controlled information storage.

How do you see DeNet’s mission of restoring information possession becoming into the broader Web3 motion?

Our mission helps deliver Web3 to life. Many nonetheless suppose it’s solely about cryptocurrency, however it’s far more than that. At its core, Web3 is about reclaiming management — over your belongings, your identification, your fame. And all of it begins together with your information. Should you don’t management your information, you don’t really personal something on-line.

At this time, info is extra precious than the Bitcoin in your pockets. It’s the brand new forex — and DeNet provides customers the instruments to actually personal it.

In your view, what position will decentralized storage play within the subsequent wave of digital infrastructure in comparison with conventional cloud giants like AWS or Google Cloud?

Cloud storage has confirmed that information might be saved in a means that’s handy, accessible, and scalable. However decentralized storage takes it a step additional — providing a stage of safety that makes your information unattainable to compromise. This isn’t nearly people’ privateness — it’s about defending delicate info at each stage, from people to governments.

The world is shifting in the direction of multipolarity. Many nations are constructing their very own providers and AI fashions inside nationwide borders. On this context, the place delicate information is saved — and who can entry it — turns into a vital concern. Conventional cloud infrastructure usually falls brief in relation to each safety and adaptability. However DeNet provides actual information sovereignty for B2C, B2B and B2G.

After all, centralized cloud storage received’t disappear — identical to USB drives nonetheless exist. And we’re not attempting to switch it. However the world wants a stronger, smarter infrastructure layer — and DeNet is able to ship it.

What had been the most important technical challenges you confronted whereas constructing a decentralized storage protocol?

The most important problem is constructing totally decentralized storage that’s truly simple to make use of — the place customers can add, transfer, or delete recordsdata freely, with out counting on third events. DeNet solves this via a protocol powered by clear, verifiable algorithms.

The system is constructed round two key elements: Datakeepers and Watcher Nodes. When a file is uploaded, it’s routinely break up into encrypted chunks and distributed throughout a community of trusted Datakeepers. Watcher Nodes act as validators — they monitor the community to make sure every file has sufficient copies. If redundancy drops, they routinely set off the creation of latest copies to maintain the info secure and all the time recoverable.

At this time, the community consists of over 2,100 energetic Datakeepers and over 2 million cellular Watcher nodes. Every Datakeeper proves their reliability by buying a license, which prevents low-quality nodes from flooding the system. Additionally they construct a fame rating over time — if their efficiency drops, they danger being faraway from the community.

The protocol is blockchain-agnostic by design, enabling nearly limitless scalability. Not launching our personal chain was a deliberate strategic resolution — it lets us deal with fixing actual issues as a substitute of duplicating present infrastructure.

How does DeNet obtain a self-stabilizing storage value, and the way is that this mannequin completely different from risky token-based pricing seen in different Web3 protocols?

To entry storage, customers have to buy TBY utility tokens. One TBY all the time equals 1 terabyte of storage for 1 12 months — for instance, with 1 TBY you possibly can retailer 1 TB for a 12 months, or 500 MB for 2 years. It’s used each to pay for storage and to reward node operators.

The important thing level is that the worth of storage stays steady, even when the token value fluctuates. A wise contract routinely adjusts the market value of TBY primarily based on provide and demand — however the utility stays fastened: 1 TBY = 1 TB per 12 months, all the time.

In another protocols, customers are depending on the worth of the mission’s token. Its value modifications primarily based on market hypothesis, which makes storage prices unstable and unpredictable. DeNet avoids that downside with a utility-first method.

Which use case do you see driving adoption first—private information storage, enterprise options, or AI/IoT integrations?

DeNet can already be used for all of those instances. The primary distinction lies in scale and integration complexity.

We began with private information storage — and there are already over 15 million consumer recordsdata secured.This wasn’t only a technical resolution — it displays our core mission to return management and privateness to customers. Beginning with the tip consumer was the pure first step — and at present, our cellular app has over 5 million customers.

Enterprise and AI/IoT use instances require a special stage of infrastructure because of the sheer quantity of knowledge concerned. That’s why our latest focus has been on scaling the community itself — rising the variety of energetic Datakeepers and Watcher Nodes to make sure the system can reliably retailer and validate information at enterprise scale.

How do you see DeNet supporting delicate industries like healthcare or finance, the place compliance and laws are strict?

Industries like healthcare and finance want safe storage greater than anybody — and our protocol is constructed to fulfill these wants. Compliance might be achieved by deploying DeNet throughout the borders of a particular nation and even inside a single group.

Within the newest model of DeNet Storage Protocol, we’ve launched node swimming pools — teams of Datakeeper nodes that function as a single unit. These swimming pools might be deployed primarily based on geographic or regulatory wants, making it attainable to fulfill native compliance necessities.

May DeNet grow to be the default storage layer for AI coaching datasets, and in that case, what benefits wouldn’t it deliver in comparison with centralized choices?

Certainly, DeNet can already be used for that function at present. There are a number of key benefits.

First — scalability. AI requires huge quantities of knowledge to coach and develop. Centralized techniques are restricted in scalability, however a decentralized community with a enough variety of nodes can deal with this load simply.

Second — independence. With DeNet, firms and governments can retailer datasets, practice, and run their very own fashions and AI brokers on distributed techniques that may’t be shut down centrally. That is particularly essential in an period the place AI equals aggressive benefit.

Third — consumer privateness. The problem of knowledge safety in AI is turning into extra pressing: when somebody uploads information to a chat, who truly will get entry to it later? Should you construct AI on decentralized storage, the setting turns into personal by design. Customers know that nobody will entry their well being information or company information — and that builds actual belief.

Many protocols declare decentralization, however usually depend on hidden central factors of management. How does DeNet keep away from falling into this entice?

There are numerous nuances right here that it’s exhausting to level to a single purpose. Generally, decentralized storage is extremely complicated to implement — it requires shifting away from conventional instruments and frameworks, in addition to constructing a group of really devoted and dependable members.

Every protocol takes its personal method to fixing these challenges. We selected the more durable path — constructing a really decentralized protocol from the bottom up with out counting on present options. It’s taken years of labor and dedication, and even now, there’s nonetheless room to develop.

If DeNet succeeds in scaling globally, what is going to the world of knowledge storage appear to be in 2030?

With the widespread adoption of decentralized storage, customers will lastly have full management over their information. Presently, firms extract worth from private info with out significant consent. DeNet modifications that. Customers will determine who can entry their information and on what phrases. They may even have the choice to monetize their information by sharing it to coach AI fashions, for instance.

Safety will attain a completely new stage. So long as your personal keys stay safe, your information will probably be fully inaccessible. Cybercrime will decline, and the web will grow to be a a lot safer house.

As extra nations development towards digital isolation and censorship, constructing a world web on decentralized infrastructure is the one means to reserve it. 

Past storage, do you see DeNet increasing into different DePIN providers, reminiscent of decentralized computing or networking, to finish the infrastructure stack?

We now have a long-term technique to construct a full ecosystem round our storage protocol. There’s already a cellular app, a decentralized app retailer, and NFT storage constructed on high of it — with extra providers on the way in which. 

We’re additionally planning to launch an SDK by the tip of the 12 months to make growth simpler and extra accessible — opening the door for impartial builders and Web3 fanatics to construct on high of DeNet. Our protocol is a common device for making a freer, decentralized web — and we invite everybody to construct that future collectively.

Alisa, a devoted journalist on the MPost, makes a speciality of cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a eager eye for rising tendencies and applied sciences, she delivers complete protection to tell and have interaction readers within the ever-evolving panorama of digital finance.

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