Ryan on Nostr: Decentralized Video Hosting I used to frequent private torrent trackers. Megabytes ...

Decentralized Video Hosting

I used to frequent private torrent trackers. Megabytes was the currency on these sites. The more you uploaded, the more you could download. This ensured torrents would be well seeded and remained available with fast downloads.

Could this be adapted to Nostr with a lightning twist? A market for decentralized video hosting?

Anyone with a VPS or a home server could run a seed box, providing bandwidth and disk space for a fee. Users who require video hosting could buy "upload credit" compensating the seed box operators. In return they get decentralized censorship resistant video hosting.

People viewing content could also be involved. Clients could be able to cache and seed a certain amount of video, just like any torrent client. This would ensure that popular videos would have more sources, ensuring their wide availability as they become more popular. This way anyone can earn sats or "upload credit", just by seeding the videos they have viewed.

I'm not sure if this is realistic or even possible, but it's an idea that always sits in the back of my head.


AI thoughts, including blossom integration:

If Blossom servers act as the initial hosting layer, the workflow could evolve as follows:

* Video Upload and Initial Hosting on Blossom:
* A user uploads a video to a Blossom server. Blossom, being a federated and potentially more censorship-resistant alternative to traditional centralized hosting, provides the initial availability and distribution.
* The video is still likely broken down into chunks for more efficient distribution later.
* The Blossom server generates the content hash and metadata.

* Nostr Announcement with Blossom Location:
* The video uploader announces the video on Nostr, including the content hash and crucially, the initial location(s) on the Blossom network where the video chunks can be obtained.
* The Nostr note would also detail the terms for long-term seeding (sats/MB offered) and potential rewards for viewers who cache and re-seed.

* Initial Viewing and Caching:
* When a user wants to watch the video, their client connects to the specified Blossom server(s) to begin streaming the chunks.
* As they watch, their client can, with their consent, cache portions of the video locally.

* Becoming a Seeder (Post-Blossom):
* The client software, having cached some video chunks, can now advertise itself as a seeder for those specific chunks via Nostr or a separate peer discovery mechanism.
* They would indicate their Lightning address or a mechanism for receiving sats for providing bandwidth.

* Payment and Incentives:
* Other viewers downloading from these client-seeders would initiate micro-payments via Lightning.
* The original uploader's "upload credit" pool (funded with sats) could also be used to incentivize these longer-term seeders, even after the initial demand from the Blossom servers subsides.

Advantages of Starting with Blossom:
* Easier Bootstrapping: Blossom provides a more readily available and user-friendly initial hosting solution compared to relying solely on a completely distributed network from the outset. Uploaders wouldn't need to immediately grapple with setting up their own infrastructure.
* Potentially Faster Initial Speeds: Blossom servers, presumably well-connected, could offer good initial streaming speeds for early viewers.
* Gradual Decentralization: The system can gradually decentralize as more viewers cache and become seeders, reducing reliance on the initial Blossom servers over time.

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