Foundation-Wide Tech Goals

Swarm Foundation is proud to share its tech team's internal agenda for the next 12 months. The aim is to create predictability in the development tracks and the wider organisation as well as help coordinate between the Foundation's efforts and the efforts deployed to the broader Swarm community.

Through this shared and transparent understanding, we aim to further the Foundation's purpose to support the Swarm network to thrive and provide the infrastructure necessary for a decentralised web.

Vision

Let's start with a recap of the ideal experience of various participants in the network before diving into the concrete milestones:

End Users

End users have a smooth experience starting a node and have the tools to monitor and interact with their local node. Apps connect to nodes and gateways in a secure way. Basic functionality of websites (files and directories) upload and download is optimised for speed and reliability.

Dapp Developers

Dapp Developers are provided with a mature toolkit to use to integrate Swarm in their Web3 dapp with extensive and useful documentation, example dapps and tutorials. They benefit from dashboards monitoring vital metrics displaying the node's operational health. Developers can rely on help provided in dev channels.

Operators

Node operators are sufficiently incentivised to contribute their bandwidth and storage space. Time-based allowance is calibrated so that clients paying for bandwidth will get reasonable service. As for storage, postage stamp revenue is redistributed to storer nodes directly in an efficient way without the need for storage contributors to stake their tokens.

Commons

The Foundation subsidises efforts to make large datasets of public interest available through Swarm.

Collaborators

Alternative client development is supported by consolidated and structured specifications of the DISC protocols and client strategies. High level standards and APIs are cleared up and documented. Integration, multiclient testing environment and quality assurance tools are provided. Ecosystem projects are provided with grants and fellowships. They also benefit from the foundation's coordination efforts: a consensual and efficient process to give and receive feedback by means of open question and answer sessions, as well as the Swarm improvement proposal process (SWIPs).

Community

Swarm Foundation aims to assist as much as it can in providing scaffoldings to the community to support their own agenda involving Swarm. It encourages autonomous, independent and permissionless communities to take further ownership over the protocol and its usages.

  1. Host unstoppable content on Swarm

    Uploading and downloading content such as websites or nft-data is optimised and predictable. This functionality can be accessed through all Swarm products:

    • bee
    • gateway
    • swarm-cli
    • chrome extension
    • dashboard
    • bee-js

    1. Measuring success

      • Small data and dapps (~5MB) can be uploaded and downloaded reliably
      • Websites can be accessed by means of a human-readable name without the need for completing a blockchain transaction for every update

    2. Completed

      Q4 2021

    3. Value

      With this goal achieved, Swarm further unlocks the following features:

      • Permissionless upload and download
      • Robust defences against blocking or changing access to content once published
      • Auto-scaling with increased demand
      • Integrity protected content
      • Eventually forgetting content that is no longer relevant to preserve

  2. Setting up and interacting with a Bee node is optimised for ease-of-use

    Any crypto enthusiast with an interest in Swarm can set up and run a Bee node easily.

    1. Measuring Success

      • Setting up a node (including crypto-onboarding) on Mac, Windows and Linux can be done in under 30' in >70% of the cases (both mainnet and testnet)
      • User funds are reasonably secure and this is guaranteed by an audit
      • There are multiple documented ways of monitoring and interacting with a Bee node
      • Setting up a Bee-Gateway is documented and easy to set up

    2. Time Estimate

      Q2 2022

    3. Value

      If it is trivial to set up a Bee node, more of them will be set up, which will result in a stronger network. More people will be able to publish and access content (Milestone #1). Through the gateway set-up, developers and communities can easily access the Swarm network.

  3. Node-operators are directly rewarded for contributing their storage space

    Contributing storage space is directly rewarded, regardless of whether the content is being accessed or not.

    1. Measuring success

      • Storing chunks is accounted for

    2. Time Estimate

      To Be Confirmed

    3. Value

      • It is economically rewarding for node operators to contribute their storage space
      • Rarely accessed content can be preserved
      • Economic sustainability of the network is upgraded
      • Any party can validate and understand the workings of the incentive system

  4. Optimisation for larger data uploads

    Uploading and downloading bigger files and datasets is optimised.

    1. Measuring success

      • Large data and data-sets (~2.4GB) can be up- and downloaded reliably
      • Have a good UX for uploading, pausing, resuming, monitoring and postage stamp payment

    2. Time Estimate

      To be confirmed

    3. Value

      • The benefits of Milestone #1 are now unlocked for bigger files
      • Use-cases are increased
      • Usability of the network is greatly improved

    5. More to come...

    While these goals are being worked on, new ones will be created and prepared. The next two goals in front of us will be worked out in detail, while we keep adding more goals for the future.

Understandings