Overview#
In plain language, Fluence is a decentralized cloud platform. Developers can deploy their built applications to the Fluence cloud platform, where providers can be professional data centers or home computers.
Fluence is supported by cryptographic tokens, which providers can use as collateral and monetary incentives for participation. Providers earn Fluence tokens and rewards (usually stablecoins) by offering application services.
Why Choose Fluence?#
The internet is dominated by a few tech giants who control user data and infrastructure. Their status as "data supremacists" allows them to use and abuse personal user data, while also posing a threat to business continuity due to the ability to have single points of failure and shut down entire software ecosystems. This centralized data ownership presents single points of failure and is susceptible to censorship and government manipulation. (Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu)
The trust and neutrality of internet infrastructure are crucial for changing the status quo. Decentralized models are neutral in design as they have no central ownership or control, operating like true democratic systems. Their design architecture makes it nearly impossible for participants to control the system, as incentives from other participants prevent such occurrences. (Fairness is still fairness)
Similar to internet protocols like HTTP, the Fluence protocol has no restrictions on who can join as a provider or become a customer. Accessing the computing market or renting resources from the market does not require approval, KYC, or similar procedures. There are no requirements for hardware performance, location, or ownership.
Fluence and Blockchain Applications#
Fluence adopts a different decentralized computing approach where applications are not located on a distributed ledger. Applications are hosted off-chain, similar to centralized cloud platforms, but because the protocol is open, applications can be hosted by multiple providers, and developers can dynamically switch between providers. This architecture significantly reduces the importance of any specific provider and lowers costs. Additionally, Fluence increases the verifiability of computations required by many applications by adding execution proofs. Every provider in the Fluence network must submit cryptographic proofs to demonstrate that they are correctly providing services for applications. Failure to submit proofs results in loss as their stake is reduced, and payments are stopped.