Decentralized Frontend Hosting for dApps: Solving the Security and Cost Issues of Blockchain Applications
Abstract
- Decentralized applications (dApps) typically consist of frontend, backend servers, and smart contracts deployed on the blockchain. However, the frontend code and some data of most dApps are still deployed on centralized servers, unable to fully inherit the decentralized characteristics of blockchain, posing security risks.
- The main reason for this problem is that mainstream blockchain platforms have not provided corresponding frontend standards and tools for developers, and the cost of on-chain data storage is too high.
- The 4EVERLAND team has proposed a decentralized frontend hosting service — Hosting, which provides developers with a one-click deployment and decentralized domain access solution, while also being compatible with mainstream decentralized domains, helping dApps achieve fully decentralized architecture, improve security, and reduce operating costs.
Background and Problems of Decentralized dApps
Background and Problems of Decentralized dApps Decentralized applications (dApps) are software programs that run on a blockchain or peer-to-peer (P2P) computer network, rather than on a single computer. dApps are not run under the control of a single institution, but are distributed across the entire network and collectively controlled by users. However, most dApps have not yet fully realized decentralization. A complete dApp usually consists of a frontend, backend servers, and smart contracts deployed on the blockchain.
- Frontend and Domain Services: The frontend page is responsible for user interaction, but most are still deployed on centralized servers. The mainstream blockchain platforms have not provided corresponding frontend standards and tools for developers, causing the dApp frontend code to be deployed on centralized servers, and also relying on centralized domain services. This not only reduces the security of dApps, but also increases operating costs.。
- Backend Servers: The backend servers connect to blockchain nodes, providing data aggregation and caching functions, most of which are implemented through smart contracts.
From the framework diagram of dApps, we can see that at the current stage, only part of the dApp components are deployed on the blockchain through smart contracts, thereby realizing decentralization, while most of the dApp frontend code and some auxiliary data are still deployed on centralized servers, which prevents dApps from fully inheriting the decentralized characteristics of the blockchain, and there are also security risks.
At present, the vast majority of dApp frontends use centralized servers, and the project parties can modify the frontend code at any time without going through community governance and without being subject to time lock restrictions. The security of this part is far from that of the smart contracts deployed on the blockchain. Once hackers can invade the server and modify the frontend code, the project party cannot guarantee that user assets will not be lost under the influence of the malicious frontend. This problem has occurred repeatedly, such as the dApp frontend suffering DDoS attacks causing users to be unable to access, the dApp frontend being injected with malicious code to redirect unknown users or their transactions to malicious destinations, and the frontend of the project being subject to BGP hijacking attacks.
Of course, since the EVM can provide a Turing-complete execution environment, most backend logic can be executed on EVM-compatible blockchains, so we can say that smart contract-based applications can fully inherit the security of the blockchain. It’s just that due to cost reasons, some computationally intensive tasks cannot be directly performed on-chain. However, more and more L2 solution blockchains are emerging, which will offload computations to the off-chain and only confirm the computation results on the Ethereum chain, thereby scaling at the computation layer. The mainstream solutions are Optimistic Rollups and ZK-Rollups. If you’re interested in this, you can read the following article, which won’t go into further detail on this topic: https://www.coinbase.com/en-gb/learn/tips-and-tutorials/what-is-the-difference-between-optimistic-rollups-and-zk-rollups.
4EVERLAND’s Decentralized Hosting Solution
Regarding how to ensure that the dApp frontend can also be decentralized like the backend, 4EVERLAND provides a complete decentralized frontend hosting solution to help developers realize the decentralized operation of the dApp frontend, ensure the efficient and secure operation of the application, and be fully based on the principles of blockchain trust and verification.
- One-click Decentralized Hosting: 4EVERLAND integrates decentralized networks such as IPFS, Arweave, ICP, and Greenfield to provide users with a one-click decentralized frontend hosting service. Developers only need to host their frontend code on Github and select the 4EVERLAND hosting platform to achieve a fully decentralized dApp architecture. This significantly reduces costs and operational complexity, as the frontend data is dispersedly stored on global nodes, enhancing data persistence and resistance to censorship. Increasingly, dApp developers are adopting the 4EVERLAND Hosting service.
- Decentralized Domain Service (DNS): By supporting mainstream decentralized domains like Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and SNS, users can utilize user-friendly names instead of complex blockchain addresses, simplifying the access and interaction process.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): 4EVERLAND has built a decentralized CDN based on multi-node architecture, ensuring fast and secure content delivery, so that users can enjoy near-instant access speeds regardless of their location.
Practical Application Scenarios for dApps
The 4EVERLAND decentralized frontend hosting solution is designed specifically for dApp development, helping developers solve the following challenges:
- Improved Loading Speed: Through the decentralized CDN, dApp content can be loaded quickly regardless of the user’s location.
- Enhanced Data Security: Distributed storage and smart contracts ensure data security, preventing unauthorized access and tampering.
- Simplified User Experience: User-friendly pages, streamlined user workflows, and a friendly user interface.
- Reduced Operating Costs: By using decentralized services, the reliance on traditional servers is reduced, thereby lowering costs.
Conclusion and Outlook
Decentralized frontend hosting for dApps has long been a challenge, but 4EVERLAND’s Hosting service provides developers with a novel solution. Through Hosting, dApps can achieve a fully decentralized architecture, not only improving security but also significantly reducing operating costs. With the increasing participation and application of more developers, we have reason to believe that the prospects for decentralized applications will continue to expand.
