IPFS: An Off-Chain Storage Solution for Blockchain

Due to intrinsic properties such as transparency, immutability, decentralization, and cryptographic security, blockchain has emerged as a revolutionary technology. Despite its widespread application, blockchain is not used to store huge data due to the restricted storage capacity offered by each block. Furthermore, because the data contained in a block must be duplicated on many other nodes on the network, storage space is wasted. Off-chain storage is therefore required to store significant volumes of data while preserving the efficiency and performance of the network. Additionally, off-chain solutions such as Inter-Planetary File System (IPFS) would reduce the cost requirements of blockchain nodes as data stored and processed by these nodes would be reduced. Hence, strong decentralized storage is provided by IPFS that is a P2P-based content-addressed file sharing system that uses cryptographic hashes to store data. As a result, by combining blockchain with IPFS, an efficient file sharing system would be created. This paper presents a comprehensive IPFS architecture, a simplified version of this integrated approach, and potential applications that might assist to maximize the worth of both systems.