🔗A System Held Together by Temporary Fixes

The current Internet relies on “quick fixes” that offer temporary relief but fail to address deeper systemic problems. Security tools like firewalls and antivirus software only guard against known threats and require constant updates. Content delivery networks and bandwidth boosts improve performance but don’t fix the limitations of the core infrastructure. Even regulations like GDPR protect privacy, but they don’t fundamentally change how data is managed or secured. Meanwhile, advances like 5G and fiber optics speed up connectivity but don’t solve the root issue of centralization.

🔗Centralization at the Root of Many Issues

Centralization is at the heart of many persistent issues, such as rising cybersecurity threats. Concentrating data in a few locations increases vulnerabilities, leading to more frequent data breaches and malicious attacks. Big tech companies keep building energy-hungry data centers to meet growing demand, but these are unsustainable and expensive to build.

While energy-efficient hardware is coming to market, it does little to solve these underlying inefficiencies. The deeper problem lies in the centralization of the Internet – a model that concentrates power in the hands of the few. Cloud services like AWS and Google Cloud help businesses scale but can be expensive, complex, and inaccessible to smaller businesses and underserved communities.

At the same time, new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) demand fast data processing at the edge. Still, centralized cloud platforms are too slow and inefficient to meet their needs.

🔗A Long-Term Cure: ThreeFold’s Solution

To truly fix a system as broken as the current Internet, we need more than temporary solutions – we need a complete transformation that attacks the problem at the root.

Autonomous Infrastructure

One of the solutions to the current Internet crisis is a shift toward autonomous infrastructure networks and data centers that can operate independently, with minimal energy consumption and maximum efficiency. ThreeFold’s decentralized network uses small, autonomous nodes that can be distributed globally. This infrastructure lowers costs, increases reliability, and improves security while addressing the environmental issues tied to the centralized model. Through the ThreeFold Grid, the project is already providing a foundation for the sustainable Internet of the future.

Quantum-Safe Systems

With quantum computing on the horizon, how we secure our Internet infrastructure must evolve. The current Internet isn’t prepared for the threats that quantum computing could pose. ThreeFold recognizes this need and is already creating quantum-safe storage and network systems that protect sensitive information against future threats. This ensures a more resilient Internet that can stand up to tomorrow’s challenges.

Decentralization for Equality

Decentralization can only resolve the imbalance caused by today’s centralized cloud giants. By enabling anyone to host their own infrastructure, ThreeFold’s network levels the playing field and distributes power and opportunity more fairly across the globe. In ThreeFold’s vision, communities, businesses, and individuals can become Internet farmers, contributing to the global network and benefiting from it equally.

🔗Moving Beyond Band-Aid Solutions: Building a Better Internet

The current Internet is broken, and temporary fixes won’t solve the underlying issues. What’s needed is a complete transformation that returns control to the people, reduces environmental impact, and creates a more equitable, accessible digital economy. We must move beyond the the quick fixes and embrace an Internet that is decentralized, sustainable, and secure for all.

ThreeFold is leading the charge by creating an Internet infrastructure that empowers individuals and communities, reduces energy consumption, and fosters innovation. The future of the Internet must reflect the principles of fairness, equality, and sustainability.

It’s time to fix the Internet with ThreeFold. We’re already on the path toward a better, more inclusive digital future.

🔗Autonomous Tech to Empower Individuals & Communities

ThreeFold’s technology is designed to run autonomously, without the need for experts to manage it. The Zero-OS operating system directly interfaces with the hardware, automating complex tasks like server maintenance, security updates, and system management. This allows anyone to easily set up and run a cloud service, contributing to a global network of servers and nodes without requiring advanced technical skills.

By automating these processes, ThreeFold opens the door for more people to participate, and benefit from access to the technology, empowering everyone to have a meaningful impact in the digital world. ThreeFold aims to build a digital world that’s open to everyone, regardless of location, background, or resources.

This means people and communities can own and control their data, applications, and online identities without relying on centralized providers. By equipping communities with these tools, ThreeFold fosters inclusivity, privacy, and digital independence for all.

🔗Solutions for Privacy and Security

In an era plagued by data breaches and privacy concerns that dominate headlines globally, ThreeFold stands out with a comprehensive approach to digital security that includes a Quantum Safe Storage system and Mycelium, a peer-to-peer overlay network developed by our team. And inherently, ThreeFold ensures that your data remains yours and is untampered with by third parties.

ThreeFold’s decentralized architecture uses innovative systems to keep data safe, routes it through the most direct and efficient paths, and keeps it out of the hands of centralized authorities and cyber threats. With ThreeFold, privacy is built into the very fabric of the technology, giving users true ownership and control over their data, free from the risks of traditional internet models.

🔗Promoting Digital Sovereignty

ThreeFold isn’t just about empowering individuals; it’s about giving countries and communities the power to control their own internet. By providing a self-sustaining cloud network, ThreeFold enables nations to build, manage, and own their internet without relying on foreign companies. This independence is crucial in a world where controlling the internet means controlling information.

Beyond digital sovereignty, local internet infrastructure drives job creation in tech, engineering, and support services, stimulating the economy. It attracts investment, fosters innovation, and helps develop local expertise, creating new opportunities in software development, cybersecurity, and data management. By keeping data and operations within their borders, countries can ensure greater privacy and security, strengthen their digital economy, and shape their future in a globally competitive landscape.

🔗Cost Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability

ThreeFold’s decentralized system offers a smarter, more sustainable way to manage data, cutting costs and environmental impact. Unlike traditional networks that rely on expensive central systems, ThreeFold lets data flow directly between nodes using the quickest, most efficient routes. Its Quantum Safe storage system (Fungistor) reduces data overhead from the typical 400% down to just 20%, saving space and costs.

With the farmerbot tool, nodes switch off when not needed and turn on only when required, managed automatically without the need for human operators or central administrators. This is all handled through smart contracts, which keep everything running smoothly and securely. ThreeFold’s peer-to-peer setup finds the fastest path for data and uses local resources, reducing the carbon footprint associated with big data centers. Depending on the use case, this approach can save up to 10 times the energy, showing how ThreeFold drives real impact in creating a greener, more cost-effective internet.

🔗Enhancing Performance and Scalability

Traditional cloud services often struggle with speed and can’t keep up with growing demands. ThreeFold changes this by bringing data processing closer to users, making everything faster and more responsive. With millions of nodes worldwide in the future, ThreeFold will power a faster and more scalable Internet but also ensure that everyone, regardless of location, has access to high-performance digital services.

🔗Building a More Connected and Equitable Future

ThreeFold’s vision is to create a global network that democratizes computing power and storage, enabling a fair internet where users control their data. By working together, we can ensure that the internet is private, innovative, and fair for everyone.

As ThreeFold continues to grow, with new projects like the fourth generation of the Grid—Project Internet Capacity—our goal is to change the digital world for the better. We’re already active in over 50 countries, yet there is a long way to go. Our journey will lead to millions of nodes and new levels of digital security, independence, and fairness.

🔗Conclusion

ThreeFold is more than just a technology company; it’s a movement for a better Internet. ThreeFold is set to make a big difference in today’s world by empowering people, protecting privacy, and supporting independence. We invite you to join us on this journey—together, we can build a digital future that works for everyone.

🔗The Birth of the Internet

In the 1960s, the internet was born from a simple yet revolutionary idea—a peer-to-peer network that allowed researchers and institutions to connect and share information freely. This early version of the internet was decentralized, with no central authority controlling the data flow. It was a place where collaboration and open communication flourished, laying the groundwork for a digital world built on trust and transparency. The internet was seen as a tool for empowering individuals and fostering a global exchange of ideas, embodying a vision of a free and open digital space.

🔗The Internet Changes

As the internet expanded throughout the 2000s, it became a global phenomenon, with millions of users coming online and businesses quickly recognizing its potential. However, this rapid growth came at a cost. The internet, once a bastion of free and open communication, began to be dominated by commercial interests. Companies saw the vast potential for profit in the digital world and began to exert control over the internet’s infrastructure and the data flowing through it.

This shift toward commercialization led to a more centralized and controlled version of the internet. The original spirit of the internet—one of trust, openness, and decentralized collaboration—started to fade. User data became a valuable commodity, often exploited for profit, and the internet grew increasingly insecure. The once-free and collaborative space became a battleground for control, and the idea of a decentralized internet seemed to be slipping away.

🔗A New Era for the Internet

Today, in 2024, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in the history of the internet. While it has become an essential part of our lives, the current model is not sustainable. Issues like data privacy, security, and the environmental impact of massive data centers have highlighted the need for change.

In response to these challenges, a new vision for the internet is emerging—one that seeks to restore the principles of sovereignty, security, and sustainability. This vision is being realized by developing ultra-secure, green, scalable, and user-friendly autonomous cloud technologies. These innovations aim to create a more sovereign internet, where users have control over their data and where the infrastructure is more environmentally responsible.

The goal is to return to the original ideals of the internet—open-sourced and decentralized—but with the added benefits of modern technology. By embracing these new technologies and renewing our commitment to decentralization and openness, we can create a better, more secure internet for everyone.

🔗Redefining the Internet: ThreeFold’s Path to Change

The internet’s evolution from a modest, collaborative network to a global powerhouse has been revolutionary, yet this growth has come at a cost. Originally built on principles of openness, decentralization, and the free exchange of information, the internet has increasingly become centralized, commercialized, and fraught with privacy and security concerns. Today, despite its immense power, the internet has strayed from the visionary ideals that once guided its creation. However, there is a growing movement to reclaim the internet’s original promise. By revisiting these foundational principles and embracing new technologies, we have the opportunity to build a digital world that is secure, sustainable, and true to the vision of a free and open internet.

This is where ThreeFold comes in. ThreeFold is pioneering a fundamental shift in how we approach the internet and cloud infrastructure. By building from the ground up, ThreeFold is creating a decentralized autonomous cloud that is truly transformative. Unlike traditional cloud services, which are often centralized and controlled by a few major players, ThreeFold’s infrastructure is distributed across a network of 3Nodes—hardware deployed locally by individuals and communities worldwide.

This decentralized approach offers significant benefits: it enhances security by reducing single points of failure, lowers costs by leveraging local resources, increases energy efficiency by processing data closer to the source, and provides unmatched scalability to meet global demand. By empowering individuals to contribute to and benefit from this network, ThreeFold is helping to create a sovereign internet—one that is owned by the people, for the people.

ThreeFold’s vision goes beyond technology: it’s about returning to the core values that once defined the internet. By fostering genuine collaboration, respecting privacy, and ensuring that the internet remains open and accessible to all, ThreeFold is helping to usher in a new era. In this era, the internet will not only connect us but also empower us, enabling a more equitable, secure, and sustainable digital future.

🔗Introduction

In a recently published collaborative episode between HATCH, ThreeFold, and Hub Culture’s Chronicle Discussions, innovative minds converged in Zanzibar, Tanzania, to delve into the intersections of technology, digital sovereignty, and the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI).

🔗African Regenerative Futures - Part 1

Led by Tate Chamberlain, the conversation featured Stan Stalnaker (Founder and CEO of Hub Culture), Kristof de Spiegeleer (co-founder of ThreeFold), and Kalebu Gwalugano (Founder and CEO of Sarufi), each offering unique perspectives on the open-source Internet, the future of digital communities, AI development, and data sovereignty.

Kalebu introduced Sarufi, a platform he created to empower developers and business owners to develop tailored chatbots in local languages, utilizing AI technologies. Gualugano’s vision resonated with Stan and Kristof, who emphasized the importance of community-driven initiatives and open-source principles in driving technological innovation.

Hub Culture’s commitment to digital identity, asset tokenization, and AI governance aligned closely with ThreeFold’s mission to revolutionize Internet infrastructure and promote individual sovereignty. The two entities showcased the potential for collaborative efforts in advancing AI capabilities while maintaining ethical standards and data sovereignty.

The conversation covered a range of topics:

• Evolving nature of AI: Ethical considerations in AI development; Concerns about data privacy and algorithmic bias; Importance of responsible AI development
• Zanzibar’s tech scene and initiatives by ThreeFold alongside Sarufi & Hubcluture: Potential to shape digital communities and AI development; Foster collaboration and promote open-source principles; Prioritize digital sovereignty and human-centric design; Guided by ethical principles and community engagement; Aim to create a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable digital future
• Collaboration between Kristof, Stan, and Kalebu: Convergence of values and visions; Emphasis on open-source software, digital identity, and AI development; Shared journey towards empowering and ethically sound technology; Exploration of AI, digital sovereignty, and community-driven innovation
• Exploration of AI’s Present & Future: Questions of sovereignty, control, and intelligence; Intersecting paths of technology, community, and digital innovation; AI as a sovereign being; Challenge to conventional views of AI development; Current limitations of AI; Importance of understanding ethical implications

🔗African Regenerative Futures - Part 2

The African Regenerative Futures Summit in Zanzibar brought together key voices to discuss Tanzania’s development opportunities in a lively manner, focusing on technology, education, and entrepreneurship. Veronica Likunama and Victor Muhagachi emphasized the importance of local context and community support in overcoming systemic challenges. Dr. Stephanie Dungu’s entrepreneurial journey underscored the need for innovative solutions in healthcare. Participants advocated for a unique, self-sufficient development path for Africa, prioritizing local talent, sustainable practices, and collaborative efforts to foster holistic growth and redefine success.

You can listen to the full podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, or Apple Podcast

Held this June 7 - 9 in Zanzibar, Tanzania, the Transformative Impact Summit convened with this important focus, attracting an audience of people from around the world working across the entire impact ecosystem, along with students from local IT universities, and government officials from Zanzibar.

A jam-packed three-day schedule of focused talks gave essential background and context to the incredible group of participants and their initiatives. Different tracks for the summit included Financial Innovation, Regenerative Finance, Regenerative Agriculture and Food, along with health and social connection, and AI, Web3, and Tech for Good.

The diverse array of speakers and topics included:

• Kristof, Florian, and Greg from the ThreeFold team (more on this below)
• Matthew Schutte, co-founder of HoloChain, who talked about HoloChain and their perspective on application development
• Omrei Abumadi, founder of VVerse (a ThreeFold & OurWorld collaborator), who discussed the metaverse and showcased a virtual environment built just for the event
• Victor Muhagachi and David Machuche, co-founders of Chatafisha and Dunia Yetu collaborators, who spoke about how FinTech can empower Africa’s waste pickers
• Dr. Cornelia Wallner-Frisee, co-founder of Africa Amini Life, who presented “Education is Our Strongest Medicine”
• El Fuego Mutaz, Head of Africa at Refunite, a tech non-profit that uses technology and innovation to provide humanitarian assistance, who spoke about how technology can reconnect families, as well as reshaping the future of aid with local community leadership

Partnerships were forged, friendships were formed, and at least one project received some funding – other outcomes remain to be seen, as it has only been a few days since the summit ended.

🔗Why Zanzibar? Why Now?

Last April, some of the ThreeFold team attended Zuzalu, a two-month “pop-up city” co-created by Vitalik Buterin, who was inspired in part by the idea of network states and wanting to simulate new ways of living together.

During those weeks, we had the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of interesting and innovative organizations and individuals. It was an amalgamation of people from around the world, some there for Web3, some for longevity, others network states, and many with a focus on impact.

One person we really connected and aligned with was Elliott Bayev of Global Unity, who has since become a dear friend of our project. Elliott is a super-connector, weaver of people and concepts, and storyteller – on a mission to unite humanity and empower global cooperation. At the time, he was in the midst of planning for the first Transformative Impact Summit, which was held last fall in New York City during UN Climate Week.

While at Zuzalu, with Elliott and others, we often talked about the noticeably low presence of attendees from certain regions, specifically Africa. Visa restrictions and sometimes lack of resources made it difficult for this audience to attend. This seemed unfair, to say the least, and did not allow for these important voices to be heard.

What resulted was a commitment to do our part in bringing these types of conversations to the African continent. ThreeFold partnered with Niklas Anzinger to create the Africa Regenerative Cities Summit last July and did a follow-up event last November. We’ve hosted and participated in other smaller events in Zanzibar and nearby Dar Es Salaam. Now, Elliott has brought the second Transformative Impact Summit to Zanzibar. (And we’d be remiss not to mention the team who put together and hosted Zanzalu, a direct spin-off / extension of last year’s Zuzalu.)

🔗ThreeFold at Transformative Impact Summit

ThreeFold was honored to present on a few different occasions throughout the summit and had the pleasure of hosting two evening events for speakers and attendees.

On the first day of the summit, our co-founder Kristof De Spiegeleer spoke on the topic of Public Private Partnerships being a model that can change Africa, and on Saturday he spoke on a panel about uplifting Africa with technology and more specifically about ThreeFold, OurWorld, and the OurWorld Digital Free Zone project.

In addition, ThreeFold ecosystem developer Florian Fournier spoke on the topic of crafting a conscious society for our world on the second day. And Gregory Flipo, co-founder of Sikana and ecosystem developer for ThreeFold presented on educational video content on a global scale. Crucially, all three were clear in communicating that new decentralized and sovereign infrastructure and systems are key to enabling truly transformative impact.

While the talks throughout the summit inspired and gave context, much of the magic happened in the evening gatherings or even now after the summit has ended, where we have been able to connect more one-on-one to explore ways of collaboration with some of the attendees and speakers.

🔗What’s Next?

Elliott and Global Unity continue their efforts to connect and empower individuals and organizations dedicating their lives to making the world a better place, with a strong commitment to Africa and its people. Their next event will be the annual Transformative Impact Summit in NYC during Climate Week, September 27-29.

We, the ThreeFold team, will continue to collaborate with Elliott and his team, finding opportunities to support each other – and as active participants in the Global Unity / Transformative Impact network, we see many possibilities unfolding.

Primarily, impact projects need responsible digital infrastructure. ThreeFold could be a perfect choice for the impact space and we are eager to collaborate.

On our most recent project update community call, we were grateful to hear from Michael Wellesley-Wesley, the founder of Green Edge and prominent farmer on the ThreeFold Grid since 2017-2018, who introduced the project to the community.

The Internet Capacity project is rooted in three major objectives:

• Reliability: Achieving service levels that allow edge and AI workloads to run efficiently.
• Community: Establishing scalable community and communication systems for vast communities at both the farming and user levels.
• Growth: Expanding the grid to a million nodes in order to see out the vision of a truly global decentralized cloud infrastructure and ecosystem.

Mission and Vision

As an extension of ThreeFold, the Internet Capacity project promotes a decentralized, community-driven, and inclusive cloud network, providing secure, private, and autonomous access to computing resources for all. The technology ensures a resilient, censorship-resistant infrastructure that protects data integrity and privacy, fostering innovation, digital sovereignty, and a more equitable internet.

The vision is to provide a cloud engine for a decentralized internet where users control their data and digital interactions. A global network of interconnected servers and nodes known as the grid, will democratize access to computing power and storage, forming the backbone of a new digital era of sovereignty, security, privacy, and inclusivity. The token supports a robust ecosystem, enabling the free exchange of internet capacity among cloud service providers, builders, and users on the grid.

What to Look Forward to with the Project?

The project introduces several exciting elements for farmers and users alike:

• The most significant technological advancement is the Mycelium network, offering unbreakable connectivity and efficient routing, which is crucial for scalability – including for any DePIN protocol or project running on top of our grid
• Hosts (farmers) will be able to earn on utilization as well as hosting rewards, and set their own competitive prices within certain limits
• A marketplace of capacity will make it easier for users to find and rent capacity
• To attract serious cloud customers at a commercial level, robust uptime and performance guarantees will be ensured through Service Level Agreements, KYC will be introduced for reliability, competitive pricing will keep customers happy, and simplified products and approach will make for a better user experience
• A quality-based reward system will motivate cloud hosts to provide reliable service, while the flexible earnings model makes hosting more appealing
• A new token will launch on a high profile blockchain

All in all, there are a variety of elements coming together to ensure a sustainable and healthy ecosystem to grow decentralized cloud and Internet capacity around the world.

The Team

An experienced team has been gathered around our DePIN launch, complementing the existing core team members. This combination of talent has a range of backgrounds and a collective understanding of how the $INCA token can bring a strong ecosytem for all stakeholders. This will be the natural evolution and continuation of what has been built by the ThreeFold team and community until today.

• Michael Wellesley-Wesley: Team lead, co-founder of Green Edge and a long-time member of the farming community.
• George Olver: An expert in the DePIN space, providing day-to-day leadership.
• Nick Hawkes and Max Gold: Partners under Gold Hawks, proficient in scaling DePIN ecosystem and historically part of the Helium and Solana communities.
• Quentin Issele: Formerly of OKEx, specializing in liquidity and marketing.
• Rob Beland: Founder of DePIN Connect, with vast marketing and influencer connections.
• Theo Chapman: Managing Director of Zonaris, coordinating execution within group.
• Mariza Wellesley-Wesley: A well-versed lawyer overseeing regulatory and legal aspects, co-founder of Green Edge.
• Sabrina Sadik and Mik Perrault: Our vital connectors between the Internet Capacity and ThreeFold teams.

The $INCA Token

Many questions have risen about the introduction of a new token to the ThreeFold ecosystem. $INCA should be seen as an extension of $TFT. It will co-exist with $TFT, both convertible and usable across TF Grid 3 and TF Grid 4. The primary differences are:

• Higher Profile: $INCA will likely have a more prominent presence, especially on Solana.
• Tokenomics: $INCA will support app development, marketing, and community growth grants.
• Max Cap: Both tokens share a four-billion max cap, with $INCA providing an opportunity to double $TFT holdings (one $TFT converts to two $INCA).

Benefits for $TFT Holders

For $TFT holders, the benefits are clear:

• Swapping: Each $TFT converts to two $INCA (during 2024), enabling easy entry for token holders.
• Market Presence: $INCA’s launch in the DePIN sector on Solana positions it in a visible and attractive market.
• Limited Supply: The initial supply of $INCA will be limited, which could drive demand and price up.

Together We Build

In conclusion, while the Internet Capacity project brings a new chapter, it is really a continuation, simplification, and amplification of the ThreeFold journey. We anticipate exciting developments as we prepare for the TF Grid 4.0 launch and the introduction of the $INCA. We are happy to address any questions you may have on our forum or our main chat, keeping in mind that we are still refining many aspects of this project.

Onward! Keep building, friends.