AI, Data, and Decentralization

How Filecoin and USDFC Are Powering the Future of Web3

Kenji Mitsusada
Secured Finance
Published in
6 min readJan 30, 2025

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Introduction: The DeepSeek Shock & AI Boom

At the start of 2025, the technology sector experienced a sudden jolt dubbed the “DeepSeek Shock.” AI-related stocks — especially in the semiconductor industry — fell sharply amid fears that a new, more affordable high-performance AI called DeepSeek would disrupt the market. Whether DeepSeek itself becomes the next game-changer or not, there is no doubt that artificial intelligence is undergoing a revolution: advanced AI agents have begun transforming how individuals and businesses create, use, and manage data.

Image by DALL·E 3

Looking ahead, 2025 will likely be remembered as the year when AI agents became a major part of daily life and corporate operations. Stargate Project, $500 billion scale AI infrastructure investments, spurred by the newly seated Trump administration’s focus on computational power and data centers, are accelerating the evolution of AI. And as AI matures, so does the sheer volume of data it generates.

But how will we store this tidal wave of new data securely and cost-effectively? More importantly, how will we finance the infrastructure needed to handle such exponential growth? This article explores the intersection of AI-driven data generation, decentralized storage through Filecoin, and the crucial role of the FIL-backed stablecoin USDFC — created by Secured Finance — to power the next wave of Web3 innovation.

The Explosion of Data Generation and Challenges in Management

AI agents and generative AI models are producing staggering amounts of text, images, videos, and other digital assets. As a result, data generation is growing at an unprecedented pace. According to recent data, the world’s total data generation was only 2 zettabytes (ZB) in 2010. By 2024, it reached approximately 149ZB, and by the end of 2025, it is expected to reach 181ZB. Furthermore, projections suggest that by 2028, global data generation will reach 394ZB.

Source: Statista, Exploding Topic

1ZB (zettabyte) = 1 trillion (1,000,000,000,000) GB.
181ZB in 2025 would be equivalent to roughly 707 billion iPhones (if each has 256GB of storage). Divided among the global population of 8 billion, that amounts to about 88 iPhones worth of data per person this year!

Centralized Systems Face Critical Challenges

Storing such a massive volume of data on centralized platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) poses several risks:

  • Lack of Data Ownership Transparency: Centralized providers manage user data under their own terms, giving individuals and companies little control.
  • Privacy Risks: High-profile scandals, such as Cambridge Analytica’s misuse of Facebook user data, show how centralized repositories can expose personal information to misuse.
  • Security Vulnerabilities: Relying on one centralized database creates a single point of failure, making large-scale hacks or service outages more likely.

As AI continues to accelerate data production, these issues become increasingly urgent. The Web3 movement offers a promising solution: decentralization.

Why Decentralized Storage Matters

Amid this unprecedented data surge, decentralized storage has emerged as a key alternative to traditional cloud services. Rather than entrusting data to a single corporate entity, decentralized storage distributes information across a global network of nodes, each contributing their own storage capacity. This approach:

  • Reduces single points of failure
  • Increases user control over data ownership
  • Improves security through redundancy
  • Potentially lowers costs by leveraging unused storage resources

By shifting power from centralized gatekeepers to individual users, decentralized storage networks align with the broader ideals of Web3 — transparency, security, and ownership.

Enter Filecoin: Building the Backbone of Decentralized Data

Among the various decentralized storage protocols, Filecoin has solidified its place as a market leader. Filecoin’s core principle is to create a decentralized marketplace for data storage: storage providers earn FIL tokens by offering spare hard drive space, while users pay those tokens to store or retrieve files. This token model motivates a distributed community of storage providers to maintain available capacity and data integrity.

Filecoin’s Current Traction

  • Decentralized storage market share: Filecoin accounts for about 67% of the decentralized storage sector.
  • Storage capacity: The network boasts a total storage capacity of around 4 exbibytes (EiB) (roughly 40 million terabytes).
  • Market outlook: The overall decentralized storage market — valued at around $629 million in 2024 — is expected to grow at a 22.4% CAGR through 2034, surpassing $4 billion (GMI Insights).

Key Advantages

  1. Distributed Security & Fault Tolerance: Data is stored across numerous nodes, removing single points of failure.
  2. Cost Efficiency: By tapping into unused storage around the globe, Filecoin can drive down prices relative to traditional cloud solutions.
  3. User-Controlled Data Ownership: Individuals and businesses maintain greater control over their data, enhancing privacy and trust.
  4. Smart Contract Integration: Filecoin, especially with its Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM), is evolving into a broader ecosystem that includes decentralized finance (DeFi) and other smart contract-based applications.

With AI and generative technologies driving up data demands, Filecoin’s decentralized model is poised to become an integral part of the global data economy. However, to truly scale, it needs a stable financial layer that can facilitate consistent transactions, lending, and other financial services.

USDFC: A FIL-Backed Stablecoin for the Filecoin Ecosystem

Addressing Volatility

One of the main barriers in the Filecoin ecosystem is reliance on the native FIL token, which can be volatile. When providers need funding for hardware or users require stable payments, volatility complicates budgeting and operations. Enter USDFC, a FIL-backed stablecoin introduced by Secured Finance.

USDFC is designed to:
1. Optimize Capital Access for Filecoin Storage Providers

  • Hardware, maintenance, and operational costs require steady financing.
  • With USDFC, Storage Providers can borrow or transact in a currency that doesn’t fluctuate wildly, enabling more predictable expansion.

2. Enable a Stable Payment System Within Filecoin

  • Rather than juggling volatile FIL or moving off-chain for fiat payments, ecosystem participants can use USDFC for day-to-day transactions.
  • This stability boosts liquidity and transparency.

3. Accelerate DeFi Adoption on the Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM)

  • DeFi protocols such as lending, swapping, or staking thrive when a stable asset is available.
  • Integrating USDFC into FVM-based financial apps will attract developers, investors, and additional liquidity.

By bridging the gap between decentralized storage needs and stable, on-chain transactions, USDFC serves as a reliable financial cornerstone in the Filecoin ecosystem.

Secured Finance’s P2P Lending and Vision for Web3

Beyond launching a FIL-backed stablecoin USDFC, Secured Finance operates a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform with a unique focus on fixed-rate, on-chain lending. This model offers:

  • Predictable Financing: Storage providers and other borrowers can lock in rates, mitigating risk even if market conditions fluctuate.
  • Enhanced Capital Efficiency: Lenders and borrowers can match terms directly, optimizing how liquidity is allocated.
  • Long-Term Stability for the Filecoin Network: Consistent, stable financing for Filecoin participants fosters growth in storage capacity and helps drive user adoption.

By combining USDFC and a robust lending infrastructure, Secured Finance is laying the groundwork for a thriving digital economy where decentralized storage, AI-driven data creation, and on-chain financing seamlessly intersect.

Conclusion: The Unified Future of AI, Data, and Decentralized Finance

The explosive expansion of AI agents and generative technologies has created a data gold rush — one that centralized infrastructure can no longer handle effectively on its own. Filecoin provides the decentralized scaffolding for storing vast amounts of user-owned data, while USDFC delivers a stable means of transacting and financing the network. Wrapped in Secured Finance’s P2P lending platform, this ecosystem empowers both providers and end users to thrive in a secure, transparent environment.

Key Takeaway: As AI continues to reshape how data is generated and utilized, decentralized storage and stable financial mechanisms will become indispensable. Filecoin addresses the technical challenges of storing data on a massive scale, and USDFC brings the stability needed for healthy economic activity. Together, they are redefining what it means to build and participate in the next generation of Web3.

Secured Finance remains committed to promoting this vision — where decentralized data management and a robust DeFi layer converge, creating a future where AI, data, and decentralization aren’t just buzzwords but the foundational pillars of a more transparent, efficient, and inclusive digital world.

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Secured Finance
Secured Finance

Published in Secured Finance

Secured Finance: Interbank-grade, Peer-to-Peer Capital Markets. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocol built on blockchain for OTC derivatives trading. Secure, efficient, and transparent transactions. Unlocking the full potential of global finance. Join the future of finance today

Kenji Mitsusada
Kenji Mitsusada

Written by Kenji Mitsusada

Head of Markets @ Secured Finance. 18 years of interest rate derivatives trading experience. Former Co-Head of G10 FX Forwards and STIR Trader at Goldman Sachs

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