Design and implementation of an incentive layer for a distributed storage network
Modification of the WindowPoST spot check logic
Introduction of a recursive storage proof to enhance on-chain processing and TPS
Android/ iOS FileStar mobile wallet
Integration of the EVM for smart contract development
Creation of a sustainable and fair token governance system
FileStar is premised on the idea of Filecoin. The latter is a peer-to-peer network intended for storing files. It incorporates special built-in economic incentives to ensure that files are kept reliably over time.
In spite of its ground-breaking vision and great aspirations, Filecoin does not boast a polished design and sophisticated technical features that could help it demonstrate a greater performance.
On top of that, Filecoin’s project development and management are too centralized and its native token distribution and release are relatively unfriendly to miners. Among other obstacles that prevent it from gaining wider traction are the high threshold for participating in Filecoin mining and a limited on-chain processing capacity.
Inspired by Filecoin’s innovative idea, our PixelPlex team designed an incentive layer for decentralized storage called FileStar that can help usher in the Web3 internet infrastructure.
The solution is based on the same vision as Filecoin, yet comes with several improvements such as the removal of an initial pledged collateral, integration of the EVM, a more elaborate tokenomics vision, innovative hash algorithms, and much more.
FileStar is also slated to tackle the most pressing challenges of Filecoin and attract more hardware, providing abundant storage, bandwidth, and computation resources.
Taking into account the imperfections of the Filecoin project, our PixelPlex team has worked out and incorporated a set of special features in the FileStar solution. The sophisticated characteristics contribute to FileStar’s high performance, enable incentive at a more refined granular level, and facilitate an optimized utilization of computation, storage, and bandwidth resources.
Proof of Copy (PoRep) is an essential part of the Filecoin storage proof system: when a miner seals one sector, PoRep requires them to submit two proofs to the network.
However, the on-chain message processing capability (TPS) of the Filecoin network is minimal. When the network becomes congested, proof messages occupy the majority of on-chain resources, and ordinary messages will not be packaged.
FileStar proposes a recursive zk-SNARK technology to reduce the number of messages for submitting proofs, thus solving the TPS problem.
The basic concept of recursive zk-SNARK is that the proof of multiple sectors produced within a certain period will be verified off-chain, generating an aggregate proof. At the end of that period, only one proof needs to be submitted to the network, containing proof of multiple sectors.
The recursive zk-SNARK technology significantly improves the TPS and achieves greater network scaling. By adjusting the number of aggregated proofs, it will adapt the network’s processing capability to meet the needs of different development stages of the FileStar network in the future.
In Fileсoin, miners need to provide a Proof of SpaceTime (PoST) upon the completion of the PoRep so as to prove that the data has been continuously stored. If a miner fails to submit Proofs-of-Spacetime to the chain, they will be penalized.
The problem is that as the network grows, the number of WindowPoST submissions will also increase, which will lead to network congestion and affect message processing.
To encourage miners to contribute to the storage, computing, and bandwidth of the project, we have designed a FileStar native token called STAR.
STAR can be used for paying for gas and storage and gives its holders the unbreakable right to vote on key decisions and further development of the FileStar project.
The FileStar community consists of developers, miners, and average token holders. Each of them can participate in the vote and jointly determine the network’s direction and growth as well as the development and launch of new features.
In the community, anyone has the right to submit a pool request with a complete test code. All submissions will be merged into the test network after a thorough analysis and will be launched on the mainnet once they have demonstrated adequate running.
Our developers have successfully integrated the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) into FileStar. This allows the FileStar team to develop and deploy Ethereum-powered smart contracts right on the platform with minimal changes in the code.
Lower mining requirements
High scalability
Great data availability
Decentralized governance
Fair token distribution mechanism
Improved performance of mining software
Efficient use of resources
Refined design of the economic model
Our PixelPlex team firmly believes that the successful launch of FileStar’s incentive layer for decentralized storage is a significant achievement in the Web3 space.
We continue working on the enhancement of a proof mechanism for computing and bandwidth facilities to further attract different resource providers. This will allow us to create even more robust decentralized computing and distributed bandwidth networks.