Swarm (Ethereum)

Swarm is a decentralized storage and messaging network designed to give decentralized applications a place to keep files and web content without relying on central servers. It began as one of the original components of the Ethereum vision of a decentralized web, in which the Ethereum blockchain would handle logic and payments while Swarm handled data, and it was developed with support from the Ethereum Foundation before moving to an independent foundation. In Swarm, files are split into chunks spread across participating nodes according to their addresses, and users buy so-called postage stamps to pay for storage. Node operators earn the network's BZZ token for storing and forwarding data. Swarm is often compared with the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), which addresses content in a similar way but has no built-in payment system.