What is Blockcast?
Last updated
Last updated
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are the backbone of internet infrastructure. They are geographically distributed groups of servers that caches content close to end users, accelerating the delivery of web content, including streaming videos, software downloads or websites. CDNs play a crucial role in improving the performance, reliability, and efficiency of content delivery across the internet.
The majority of web traffic comes from five or six CDNs, a mix of private (FAANG) and public hosts. If you're big enough an ISP, CDN owners will grant access to your network through a meet-me point, providing a free high-speed traffic to your users. It's an exclusive process because of:
Cost: Deploying the large cache nodes used by CDNs is capital intensive, so they are deployed only in locations where there will be a return on investment
Security: A point of presence is the termination point for end-to-end encryption so special physical tamper protection is used to protect against Evil Maid Attacks and the node operator spying on users
Reliability: Traditional PoP only work where there is fiber connectivity and 24/7 uptime so caches can each be filled overnight and remain available to users
CDNs typically deploy this traffic scaling equipment into ISP networks for free, which helps both parties benefit their customers. However, ISPs become burdened by traffic coming in from other ISPs nearby, so it doesn't necessarily reduce their costs. And you need a different box for each of the CDNs the streaming service is on. This tight ccontrol of scaling infrastructure and lack of incentives has thrown large ISPs to open protest CDNs with calls for fairness.
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are the backbone of internet infrastructure. They are geographically distributed groups of servers that caches content close to end users, accelerating the delivery of web content, including streaming videos, software downloads or websites. CDNs play a crucial role in improving the performance, reliability, and efficiency of content delivery across the internet. And, by their very nature, they are already decentralized, architected to dynamically provide scale when needed.
But content delivery, as an activity and a business, is very centralized, controlled by just a handful of companies who are responsible for delivering almost all of the world's internet content.
So, rather than trying to decentralize what is already decentralized, Blockcast is focused on decentralizing how content delivery is handled. ------
At Blockcast, we believe the future of internet infrastructure should be community-owned, community-governed, and community-driven.
We empower everyone to contribute their spare internet resources—such as bandwidth and electricity—and become part of the internet backbone for content delivery.
Blockcast helps content owners to enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) through open interfaces, decentralized proofs of resources, and economic incentive designs.
Our open, community-driven approach, combined with edge/home caching and technologies like multicast, allows us to:
Deliver content at a fraction of traditional costs
With improved quality of the stream (higher bitrate content)
With no compromises on security or performance
Blockcast is for everyone—whether you're a content owner, ISP, broadcaster, or internet user.
By running a Blockcast node or using our services, you help make the web faster and more efficient. Together, we can create a better, more accessible internet for all.