The next step in blockchain mass adoption is being able to transfer data, not value.

The blockchain concept has been created with monetary value in mind but even the actual system could be used more specifically for transactions of another valuable asset: The importance of data is increasing everyday, it has become the fuel for several new technologies who are helping people, businesses and governments to take the best decisions in any situation. Data and money are very closely related, we could even say that data is an asset as important as money when it comes to ruling the world.
Oceanlab started as one of the first serious Wavesplatform based development project and has already been active for two years (officially launched one year ago with the help of a relatively small initial token offering to help them build and maintain the infrastructure needed to develop and provide services). From the beginning, their focus was the data that could be transferred from one address to another, the benefits and new potential use cases of this alternative approach to the Blockchain/DLT technology.
Waves was chosen because it’s a very rich platform with a big resource of exploitable data right from the start as every token descriptions, values, attachments and trades are directly encoded in the blockchain itself, allowing an easy deployment of fully automated analysis scripts to provide end-users with understandable and reliable data or reports without relying on third parties or social networks. Waves constituted the perfect starting point to develop a system applicable to many other blockchains and platforms.
In Oceanlab’s first year of operation, a few significant achievements were made:
- Automated new created assets extraction to provide users with an always up to date asset database (TokenDB)
- Automatic update of tokens value and trends based on Waves decentralized exchange transactions
- Conditional transactions systems based on Realtime assets distribution (PoS4All, Tokenmasternode, conditional airdrop engine and rewards)
- A blockchain secured faucet system which is able to adapt to most bots and fraud attempts
- A blockchain messaging/chat engine combining anonymity with user identification (Using wallet addresses and aliases as ID) with several filters and conditional url posting
- A bot able to react to requests sent on the blockchain (using attachments) that is now being tested in an IoT environment
Several blockchain platforms are now widely spread and suitable for reliable communication and data storage, providing undeniable advantages to the cloud and local storage systems we know today:
- Endless worldwide availability (long term storage) without the need to setup and maintain a server
- You only have to pay transaction fees when you store the data (Anyone can retrieve the data for free at any time)
- Data is fixed and always reliable, it cannot be modified afterwards due to the nature of the blockchain (perfect for IoT, science, logistics, ransomware-proof…)
- Data can benefit from blockchain level security and encryption (encrypting data with a private key for example)
- As communications are stored forever, data analysis can occur several years later
- It works on any device able to run a web browser or dedicated app
The challenges of blockchain data storage and the « Acropora » project
Storing data on platforms mainly aimed at transferring value may be considered as inefficient due to the limitations of these platforms. Following its first developments, Oceanlab has found solutions to several problems and invented a new process able to allow data storage on any existing or future blockchain, allowing even large files to be uploaded. This project has been named “Acropora”, several use cases will already benefit from an early version before the end of the year but the multiblockchain full featured version will be released in 2019. This project aims to solve the following problems:
- Storing data on blockchains is very limited due to the amount of actual data you can transfer with a single transaction: To take Waves as example, you were only able to send 140 chars as attachment with your transactions (there are now up to 140k data transactions available on the platform, which will undeniably improve the process efficiency), this is enough to transfer small messages to another address (it’s currently used by Oceanlab to communicate to several bots and IoT projects) but not for anything else. Acropora is based on the creation of an innovative transactions indexing system able to cut and index larger messages or files into several transactions while being able to retrieve the whole file at any time using only one origin transaction.
- Storing data would be so costly it wouldn’t be interesting: Storing a file will obviously require a large amount of transactions and the fees added up could be huge on some platforms, the price will also depend on Realtime market valuation. That’s why Acropora will be created with an open source plugin system enabling the use of any blockchain platform and will constantly monitor several parameters to provide Realtime information about the best choice at any moment: Transaction price, amount of data per transaction and network quality will be constantly analyzed. The Acropora base app will be able to automatically negotiate the best rate when sending data to the blockchain, while still letting you set your own requirements. Everything will be done transparently. Due to these multiblockchain capabilities, this process will probably give utility value to the smallest and cheapest assets existing, as long as some nodes are up and running.
- Storing files on the blockchain is not secure as everyone will be able to view them: Using data encryption will be possible, each part of file will be encrypted, as well as the index used to find the transactions containing them. That index can even be a local one and never be published anywhere. You will be able to store personal files on the blockchain. Even if someone finds a part of a file, he won’t be able to tell if it’s the beginning, the middle, the end or which transactions hold the other parts. It will even be possible to send parts of a file to different blockchains and retrieve them as easily afterwards.
- Blockchains can die, that could lead to a loss of data: Transferring data from one “dying” blockchain to another will be as easy as right clicking on a file and choose “Copy it to another blockchain”, obviously there’s a cost as new transactions must be made, but that feature can save any file from disappearing. People could even choose to automatically store their files on several low cost blockchains to make sure a copy is always available if one of them is going down.
- Blockchain performances, even in reading mode, are poor: This system will be aimed at data retrieval at first, there probably won’t be a way to stream video from the blockchain soon. But like the speed of computers and the Internet did, blockchains and their processes also evolve, some quality networks can already handle multiple reading requests almost instantaneously.
Real life use cases
The possibilities of this decentralized storage system are nearly endless, here are a few examples that could be applied in a variety of contexts:
- Decentralized social network: Publish messages, links, pictures and small videos, without the help of any server for storage, with unlimited retention. Keep your anonymity while still being identified by your wallet address or Alias.
- IoT and device/sensors: Have sensors publishing their data on the blockchain for long term analysis, scientific research and reports, use the blockchain as a tool to communicate between devices and automate processes.
- Medicine: Using blockchain into medical devices for a better overview of patient data and being able to setup alarms or communicate to other devices/activate them when needed.
- Cloud storage replacement: Store pictures or other important files in the blockchain to be able to retrieve them without having to pay a monthly fee to a company who has access to your data or depend on the availability of centralized servers. Using proper encryption, you keep the uploaded data to yourself and no one else.
- Logistics and transportation: Instantaneous and complete field information, Realtime management and analysis of multiple factors could allow for a better reaction time, efficiency and process optimization.
- Machine learning: Ever-growing datasets and continuous results analysis will enable cost-efficient machine learning which will go beyond what is possible today at a fraction of the price.
- Dictionaries/encyclopedias/books: Human knowledge on the blockchain, with an always accessible list of modifications. Without the need of any costly servers or donations...
- Digital rights management: Data uploading (pictures, documents, music, …) in the blockchain will enable a form of immutable digital rights management for any created media that can be used as a proof of ownership.
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Oceanlab is actively paving the way to the next most common use of the blockchain by providing data oriented tools and services which will redefine the way we communicate and have access to information. 2019 will be a very important year for blockchain and we are well on our way to play an important role in its worldwide success.
You can find more information about Oceanlab, support us and see our progress on https://oceanlab.eu
