ZeroNet

ZeroNet
Developer(s) Tamas Kocsis
Initial release 2015
Repository
Edit this at Wikidata
Written in Python
Operating system Windows, Linux, OS X, FreeBSD, Android
Available in Danish, German, English, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Chinese.
Type Peer-to-peer web hosting
License GNU GPL v2
Website zeronet.io

ZeroNet is a decentralized web-like network of peer-to-peer users. Programming for the network is based in Budapest, Hungary; is built in Python; and is fully open source.[1] Instead of having an IP address, sites are identified by a public key (specifically a bitcoin address). The private key allows the owner of a site to sign and publish change, which propagate through the network. Sites can be accessed through an ordinary web browser when using the ZeroNet application, which acts as a local webhost for such pages.[1] In addition to using bitcoin cryptography, ZeroNet uses trackers from the BitTorrent network[2][3][4] to negotiate connections between peers.[1] ZeroNet is anonymous by default, by hiding their IP address using the built in Tor-functionality.

The ZeroNet website and bittorrent tracker are blocked in China.[5]

The existence of peer-to-peer online web-sites had been hypothesised for some time, with The Pirate Bay suggesting they would build a network, as well as BitTorrent Inc. which created the closed source Project Maelstrom.[1][6] One other similar project is the SAFE Network by MaidSafe, though it has not yet seen widespread use, and has been said to focus more on file storage.[6] Another application, Beaker Browser, uses the P2P DAT files protocol to allow the creation, hosting and serving of websites without need of a server.[7]

As of 2016 there is no way to take down a ZeroNet page which still has seeders,[1] thus making such pages immune to third-party methods of taking them down, including DMCA takedown notices.[8] By default, sites have a size limit of 10 megabytes, but users may grant a site permission to use more storage space if they wish.

Development of sites

Sites on ZeroNet are known as "zites".

ZeroNet supports HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Site developers can also write sites in CoffeeScript instead of write in JavaScript, but they need to compile the .coffee files. ZeroNet can compile to JavaScript in development mode, so all .coffee files are compiled and saved to all.js file. This also supports compiling .sass files to CSS (also compiles to all.css).

PHP is not supported, although ZeroNet can achieve user signup/login on MySQL databases, that are also distributed via P2P.

With plugins and the ZeroFrame API, sites can communicate with ZeroNet calling Python by JavaScript.

Sites

  • The BitTorrent website Play hosts a magnet link repository on ZeroNet, which links to copyrighted content.[1] There is a Reddit community which offers support for ZeroNet.[1]
  • On 11 August 2016[9], ZeroMe has been launched as ZeroNet's first social network, based on Twitter. Thanks to the merger site feature, ZeroMe's user data are stored in different hubs, that are merged sites from ZeroMe.
  • On 20 November 2017, KopyKate Big has started as the first YouTube reliable alternative on ZeroNet, taking use of Big File feature.
  • Since Microsoft acquired GitHub, Git Center has been launched in 2017 as alternative, supporting clone, issues, pull requests, stars and comment reactions.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Play: A P2P Distributed Torrent Site That's Impossible to Shut Down – TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  2. ↑ Kysar, Tom (18 March 2015). "ZeroNet Expands Key Distributed And Anonymous Features". bravenewcoin.com. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Sewell, Chase (15 January 2015). "Can Blockchain Technology Decentralize the Web?". insidebitcoins.com. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  4. ↑ Kumar, Mohit (18 February 2015). "MegaNet — New Decentralized, Non-IP Based and Encrypted Network". The Hacker News. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  5. ↑ Hill, Paul. "China blocks access to ZeroNet website and tracker". Neowin. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  6. 1 2 Prisco, Giulio. "BitTorrent-Powered ZeroNet Decentralized Web Pioneers Peer-To-Peer Internet". Bitcoin Magazine. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  7. ↑ Inside Beaker
  8. ↑ "Steal This Show S01E07: Did P2P Break the Law? - TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak. Event occurs at 17m39s. Retrieved 2016-03-08. and what's happened is [...] some forward-thinking person has created a site on ZeroNet called Play, a torrent site[...]. The difference is that you can't take it down. I think you literally can't take it down. [...] It sniffs at your DMCA.
  9. ↑ "New ZeroNet version: 0.4.0 + ZeroMe decentralized, P2P social site". Decentralize Today. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  • "Kim Dotcom's 'MegaNet' could be a bitcoin-inspired spy-resistant Internet". Upstart Business Journal. 31 March 2015.



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