Communication

The internet (the communication layer in blockchain) is considered to be decentralized. This belief is correct to some extent, as the original vision of the internet was to develop a decentralized communications system. Services such as email and online storage are now all based on a paradigm where the service provider is in control, and users trust such providers to grant them access to the service as requested. This model is based on unconditional trust of a central authority (the service provider) where users are not in control of their data. Even user passwords are stored on trusted third-party systems.

Thus, there is a need to provide control to individual users in such a way that access to their data is guaranteed and is not dependent on a single third party. Access to the internet (the communication layer) is based on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who act as a central hub for internet users. If the ISP is shut down for any reason, then no communication is possible with this model.

An alternative is to use mesh networks. Even though they are limited in functionality when compared to the internet, they still provide a decentralized alternative where nodes can talk directly to each other without a central hub such as an ISP.

Now imagine a network that allows users to be in control of their communication; no one can shut it down for any reason. This could be the next step toward decentralizing communication networks in the blockchain ecosystem. It must be noted that this model may only be vital in a jurisdiction where the internet is censored and controlled by the government.

As mentioned earlier, the original vision of the internet was to build a decentralized network; however, over the years, with the advent of large-scale service providers such as Google, Amazon, and eBay, control is shifting towards these big players. For example, email is a decentralized system at its core; that is, anyone can run an email server with minimal effort and can start sending and receiving emails. There are better alternatives available, for example, Gmail and Outlook.com, which already provide managed services for end users, so there is a natural inclination toward selecting from these large centralized services as they are more convenient and free. This is one example that shows how the internet has moved toward centralization.

Free services, however, are offered at the cost of exposing valuable personal data, and many users are unaware of this fact. Blockchain has once again given this vision of decentralization to the world, and now concerted efforts are being made to harness this technology and take advantage of the benefits that it can provide.