🔗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 autonomy, 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 autonomy.

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 autonomy. The two entities showcased the potential for collaborative efforts in advancing AI capabilities while maintaining ethical standards and data autonomy.

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 autonomy 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 autonomy and community-driven innovation
• Exploration of AI’s Present & Future: Questions of autonomy, control, and intelligence; Intersecting paths of technology, community, and digital innovation; AI as an autonomous 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.

🔗But first – why is testing important?

Testing upgrades as they’re developed ensures we have a stable operation of the TFGrid that is constantly optimal for our community. It lets us see what works well and what still needs fixing. By the time our community gets these upgrades, they’ve been tested many times to make sure they’re top-notch.

When it comes to testing the developments on the ThreeFold Grid, we need to be careful, especially when we’re doing separate tests from the different networks. If we don’t focus on testing the developments independently, testing can become a lot slower and more complicated.

Different networks for testing: We test on 3 different networks before we release anything on Mainnet.

🔗Testing all Networks sequentially

Our journey through these networks follows a well-defined path.

First, verification starts on Devnet with the dev team leading the validation process. Once the development team approves, we release the grid to the Qanet for further examination.

The QA teams conduct iterative test runs within Qanet, leading to a Bug Assessment Meeting to address reported issues. If the release is deemed ready for deployment, it moves to Testnet for an extended observation period.

Following two weeks of rigorous testing on Testnet releases advance to Mainnet once a community vote approves a Grid Enhancement Proposal, indicating readiness for widespread adoption. As the release enters Mainnet, QA teams begin new test iterations to ensure a smooth transition for user accessibility.

Testing is done both manually and automated:

Manual testing: At the core of our testing process is the thorough manual inspection of components using the advanced Testlodge tool.

Automation Testing: We also run Automated scripts on GitHub actions daily; to give us an early indication about the TFGrid.

We will go through these two types of testing further in part two.

🔗Conclusion

The testing journey within the ThreeFold Grid is intentionally and necessarily thorough, a delicate balance between manual precision and automated finesse, all designed to provide a strong and reliable cloud infrastructure for our users. Next time, stay tuned for more updates on how we conduct these tests and how they help us improve the grid’s reliability. Join us as we strive for excellence and continue to advance in the world of decentralized technology.

The ThreeFold community consists of many different roles creating a whole ecosystem that contributes to the growth of the ThreeFold Grid and makes it more reliable and stable. Today, we’re spotlighting the farming community, the backbone of the ThreeFold Grid.

🔗Who are the farmers and what exactly do these farmers do?

Think of a ThreeFold Farmer as a digital pioneer who connects their capacity to the ThreeFold Grid, becoming a cloud service provider. They come from all corners of the globe, driven by a common goal: to contribute to the growth of ThreeFold’s decentralized cloud infrastructure. Currently, we boast approximately 950 farmers running an impressive ±2500 nodes. This translates to a whopping capacity of:

• Cores: 64,290
• RAM: 434.85 TB
• SSD: 8.46 PB
• HDD: 20 PB

The farming community keeps the digital gears turning. Whether they purchase a 3Node from the marketplace or build their nodes, they’re providing essential capacity to the ThreeFold Grid. In return for their contributions, they’re rewarded with ThreeFold Tokens (TFTs), the currency of the ThreeFold ecosystem.

Farmers are rewarded based on their uptime—the number of hours, minutes, and seconds their node has been online. This data is meticulously tracked by ThreeFold’s blockchain, TFChain, and used to determine their monthly rewards. However, we’re always evolving and we just passed a vote on the ThreeFold DAO where we decided that, in the future, farmers would be rewarded based on their utilization.

ThreeFold Farmers not only provide capacity but also take the opportunity of ThreeFold being an open-source project to develop scripts and tools like a Python script for minting, a telegram for liquidity pool USDC/TFT, and Telegram channels for their local community where English is not their primary language so that they can get help when they need it, and much more.

The ThreeFold farming community is an integral part of our decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). A farmer’s participation in the DAO discussions and proposals is pivotal as we chart the course for the grid’s evolution, from our current version 3.14 release and beyond. Together, we’re actively building the grid’s future, thanks to our dedicated farmers’ collaborative efforts. Join us, share your ideas, and let’s shape the future of the ThreeFold Grid together.

🔗The Future of the Farming Community

🔗The TF Cooperative

ThreeFold is transitioning the management of TF Grid to a cooperative, empowering all of us to work toward our common goals more effectively. This shift represents a step towards a more collaborative and inclusive future for the TFGrid. As we enter the commercialization phase of the project, a cooperative model also brings a trusted form of decentralized governance and will enable us to bring more reliability to the grid.

The formation of the ThreeFold Cooperative (TF COOP) brings several planned changes for farmers and their interaction with the TFGrid:

• Democratic Governance: TF COOP introduces a system where farmers can vote on decisions based on their TFT holdings (1 TFT = 1 vote), giving them a voice in the cooperative’s direction.
• Farming Rewards: Farmers will continue to earn rewards based on the quality of their nodes and network uptime. This encourages high standards and benefits both farmers and users.
• Compliance: Farmers must follow KYC/AML (Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering) rules for transparency and accountability.
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Larger farmers may sign formal contracts with DMCC or TF COOP, providing stability and predictability.
• Capacity Resale and Utilization Rewards: TF COOP will resell capacity and distribute profits. Farmers receive 50% of the revenue from their node utilization.
• Node Information and Transparency: Farmers can benefit from tracking more node data in the explorer, helping potential users select quality nodes.
• Governance Involvement: Farmers, as cooperative members, can impact management and operations, aligning their interests with the TFGrid’s success.

🔗Farming Pool

Farming Pools are a new feature planned for version 4.0 that helps improve trust and quality in our network. Farmers join these pools and agree to standards like uptime and response time. They can set their prices for services like storage and computing power. By staking tokens, farmers commit to these standards and risk losing some of their stakes if they don’t meet their promises. This keeps the network reliable and fair while allowing farmers more control over their services.

These pools can also act as hubs for supporting farmers with training and help them understand if their nodes are working well. Sales of preconfigured hardware is an additional optional function of the pools, while all pools operate as a business that takes a margin on the farming rewards of the farmers belonging to the pool. Beyond support, the added value for the farmers is that pools ensure a level of service and quality that can attract users and bring additional revenues to the farmers, including the potential of active marketing of the pool’s capacity.

🔗Conclusion

The farming community plays a key role in the smooth operation and growth of the ThreeFold Grid. These farmers shape the grid’s future by offering the capacity for a more decentralized digital world. Their work goes beyond earning rewards, as they contribute nodes to a global network and share resources and tools that strengthen the community, which will be showcased in our upcoming blogs. Thanks to their efforts, the grid is thriving and paving the way for a fairer, more connected world.

🔗Get involved:

• Join our farmer’s chat to talk with the community

• Learn about expanding the grid or adding on top of it.

• Stay updated with news and community discussions.