# We Researched Dfinity’s Internet Computer and This Is What We Learned Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-04-06 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Unlocking Internet Freedom: The Rise of Dfinity's Meta Description: Explore how Dfinity is reshaping the future of online connection, privacy, and security with its decentralized blockchain network. Join the movement today! URL: https://financedigest.com/we-researched-dfinitys-internet-computer-and-this-is-what-we-learnedhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/dfinity-internet-computer-1736815902041-compressed.jpg) In an age where user privacy has never been more important, more people are trying to reclaim their independence through the power of decentralized networks. While many blockchain brands, like ethereum, are trying to revolutionize online life as we know it, Dfinity is rethinking the entire structure of the internet — shaping the future of connection, privacy, and security in the process. Today’s internet isn’t the Wild West we believe it to be. There’s a surprising amount of structure and centralization going on in the [back end](https://www.financedigest.com/decision-to-end-ecb-reinvestments-takes-back-seat-to-rate-hikes-sources-say.html "Decision to end ECB reinvestments takes back seat to rate hikes, sources say"). Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and other huge [tech companies](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-to-fine-tech-companies-that-fail-to-remove-self-harm-material.html "UK to fine tech companies that fail to remove self-harm material") have a stranglehold on the infrastructure that backs up the internet. In practice, this means just a few [companies control what we see](https://www.financedigest.com/wait-and-see-u-s-companies-curb-investment-as-they-await-fed-moves.html "Wait and see: U.S. companies curb investment as they await Fed moves"), think, and feel online. This monopolization of the internet is dangerous, bypassing users’ ability to use the web as they [see fit](https://www.financedigest.com/portugal-pm-welcomes-lufthansas-interest-in-tap-scholz-sees-good-fit.html "Portugal PM welcomes Lufthansa’s interest in TAP, Scholz sees good fit"). That’s why [Dfinity created the Internet Computer](http://www.itechpost.com/articles/109411/20220304/dfinity-the-spiritual-ancestor-of-the-world.htm). It’s a type of software (“smart contract”) that uses a decentralized blockchain without the cloud or legacy IT. Let’s dive into how the Internet Computer (IC) works, the research that went into it, and why so many users are backing Dfintiy’s new creation. ## The Details of Dfinity Dfinity is a nonprofit that was founded in 2016 by Dominic Williams, a former technologist at Ethereum. Dfinity is based in Switzerland, but has a global presence of over 200 [team members](https://www.financedigest.com/playground-xyz-appoints-new-team-members-as-it-solidifies-its-position-as-a-leader-in-the-attention-space.html "Playground xyz appoints new team members as it solidifies its position as a leader in the attention space") from the United States to Japan. At its core, Dfinity is a blockchain and cryptocurrency nonprofit, but it has lofty ambitions: it wants to revolutionize the next stage of the internet. Its flagship product, the Internet Computer, decentralizes the internet on the blockchain, [allowing third-party apps to exist outside of legacy infrastructure from Amazon](https://www.financedigest.com/amazon-may-be-responsible-for-allowing-louboutin-knock-off-ads-eu-court-says.html "Amazon may be responsible for allowing Louboutin knock-off ads, EU court says"), Microsoft, or Google. ## What Is the Internet Computer? What’s so special about Dfinity’s Internet Computer? The ICis a public blockchain that uses smart contracts for the decentralized internet. But unlike other blockchain solutions, IC doesn’t use any [Big Tech](https://www.financedigest.com/startups-spring-from-ashes-of-big-tech-purge.html "Startups spring from ashes of Big Tech purge") tools that other platforms still use. After all, is your [internet decentralized if it’s using a centralized platform like Amazon Web](https://www.financedigest.com/from-implant-chips-to-green-web-hosting-heres-what-experts-believe-the-future-of-the-internet-will-look-like.html "From implant chips to green web hosting, here’s what experts believe the future of the internet will look like") Services (AWS) as its backbone? Instead of using centralized servers, the IC stack runs on independent [data centers](https://www.financedigest.com/the-logo-of-french-cloud-computing-company-ovhcloud-is-seen-on-a-data-center-building-in-strasbourg-france-october-13-2021-reuters-christian-hartmann.html "The logo of French cloud computing company OVHcloud is seen on a data-center building in Strasbourg, France, October 13, 2021. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann") across the globe. With software Dfinity calls “canisters,” the IC is capable of offering a wide variety of features that developers would normally [farm out to providers like Amazon](https://www.financedigest.com/amazon-grants-1-5-million-euros-to-dutch-seaweed-farm-project.html "Amazon grants 1.5 million euros to Dutch seaweed farm project") or Google. Thanks to the IC’s canisters, you don’t have to buy separate services like servers, Domain Name System, and firewalls ### How the Internet Computer Works So, what have we learned from researching the Internet Computer? Well, this platform [clearly isn’t a traditional blockchain](https://dfinity.org/howitworks/). Thanks to its agile infrastructure, the IC is [capable of doing smart contracts in a way that’s faster and more efficient than other platforms](https://www.financedigest.com/de-surinaamsche-bank-expands-relationship-with-fiserv-to-upgrade-core-banking-platform-and-add-new-digital-banking-capabilities.html "De Surinaamsche Bank Expands Relationship with Fiserv to Upgrade Core Banking Platform and Add New Digital Banking Capabilities"). The Internet Computer uses Motoko, a programming language Dfinity [created specifically for its smart](https://www.financedigest.com/sordin-and-cardo-crew-join-forces-to-create-new-generation-of-smart-hearing-protectors-for-professional-teams-on-the-move.html "Sordin and Cardo Crew Join Forces To Create New Generation Of Smart Hearing Protectors For Professional Teams On The Move") contracts. All a developer needs is to create their canisters using Motoko, upload them to the Internet Computer, and [share the DApp with the world](https://www.financedigest.com/world-u-s-share-markets-come-under-pressure-as-delta-economic-worries-mount.html "World, U.S. share markets come under pressure as Delta, economic worries mount") — it’s that simple. It also uses a Network Nervous System (NNS) algorithm that [allows the network to expand and upgrade over time](https://www.financedigest.com/allowing-yourself-time-to-grow-as-a-leader-consciously-will-enable-you-to-support-your-team-authentically.html "Allowing yourself time to grow as a leader, consciously, will enable you to support your team authentically"). ### The Benefits of the Internet Computer As it turns out, this lack of centralization has a lot of benefits, both for developers and users: **— Independence**: Did you [know 70% of ethereum nodes are built on centralized services](https://www.financedigest.com/baas-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-rise-of-banking-as-a-service.html "BaaS: What you need to know about the rise of Banking as a Service") like AWS? This means that most of the “decentralized” blockchains that exist today aren’t decentralized at all. Dfinity uses over 400 nodes for the Internet Computer, which makes it resistant to censorship and shutdowns from centralized providers. **— Privacy**: Users can stay anonymous while using Dfinity’s Internet Computer, which doesn’t require any personal information. **— Lower costs**: The IC allows [apps to store](https://www.financedigest.com/apple-given-fourth-dutch-fine-in-app-store-dispute.html "Apple given fourth Dutch fine in App Store dispute") information at a fraction of what it costs on other platforms. For example, it [costs just $5 a year to store 1 gigabyte of data](https://www.financedigest.com/durham-county-council-reduces-data-log-analysis-costs-by-50-with-real-time-analysis-and-security-tool.html "Durham County Council reduces data log analysis costs by 50% with real-time analysis and security tool") (which is a sliver of what you’d pay anywhere else). The Internet Computer is also more affordable because [developers fund](https://www.financedigest.com/sommet-education-partners-with-kingdom-of-saudi-arabias-tourism-development-fund.html "Sommet Education partners with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund") the blockchain, not the users. This means users are incentivized to use the blockchain because they aren’t charged for use. **— Scalability**: Dfinity built the IC to be completely interoperable, with canisters that use all programming languages and systems. It’s also very [scalable — if the blockchain needs](https://www.financedigest.com/why-businesses-need-to-shift-their-e-invoicing-approach-from-local-and-tactical-to-scalable-and-strategic.html "Why businesses need to shift their e-invoicing approach – from local and tactical to scalable and strategic") more volume, Dfinity can add more nodes to the network. **— Lower latency**: Bitcoin transactions can take up to 10 minutes to process. But thanks to the Internet Computer’s agile setup, its slowest transactions take around five seconds. ### The Research That Went Into Creating This Protocol But how did Dfinity manage to create something that’s both decentralized, affordable, and faster than other blockchain technology? It all comes down to the research. Dfinity’s founder, Dominic Williams, first created the Internet Computer in 2015 with the goal of creating a [world](https://www.financedigest.com/how-hybrid-cloud-computing-offers-the-best-of-all-worlds.html "How hybrid cloud computing offers the best of all worlds") computer you couldn’t shut down. In 2017, he received crowdfunding from hundreds of blockchain users and he sourced an additional $195 [million from venture capital investors](https://www.financedigest.com/optable-closes-20-million-series-a-financing-broadens-investor-syndicate-in-new-round.html "Optable Closes Million Series A Financing, Broadens Investor Syndicate in New Round") in 2018. From 2019 to 2021, Williams’ team iterated on the Internet Computer, adding capabilities like third-party apps (which it calls “DApps”) and its Network Nervous System (the IC algorithm). It even created ICP, a cryptocurrency token, in May 2021. But that isn’t where the [research ended](https://www.financedigest.com/power-generation-sector-to-remain-largest-end-user-of-industrial-engines-persistence-market-research.html "Double Acting Hydraulic Cylinders to Hold Close to 50% Market Share: Persistence Market Research"). Dfinity [worked with countless other organizations and blockchain enthusiasts to continually improve the platform](https://www.financedigest.com/brics-aerial-work-platforms-market-competitive-growth-strategies-based-on-type-applications-end-user-and-region.html "BRICS Aerial Work Platforms Market Competitive Growth Strategies Based on Type, Applications, End User and Region"). Dfinity held a hackathon to [research new ways to innovate](https://www.financedigest.com/stretch-marks-treatment-market-insights-new-innovations-research-and-growth-factor-till-2025.html "Stretch Marks Treatment Market Insights, New Innovations, Research and Growth Factor till 2025") on the Internet Computer. It’s still early days, but the hackathon led to great innovations like: [— Documentation for developers](https://www.financedigest.com/going-cashless-the-developing-digital-economy.html "Going Cashless — The Developing Digital Economy") working on the Internet Computer. — Synchronizing and encrypting [user data across all devices](https://www.financedigest.com/signalling-device-market-competitive-growth-strategies-based-on-type-applications-end-user-and-region.html "Signalling Device Market Competitive Growth Strategies Based on Type, Applications, End User and Region"). — [Apps for storing a user’s](https://www.financedigest.com/the-wisdom-of-the-crowd-real-world-users-validate-m-commerce-apps.html "The wisdom of the crowd – ‘real world’ users validate m-commerce apps") identity and personal information. — The creation of dapps, which [build smart](https://www.financedigest.com/untapped-cost-savings-why-smart-building-management-systems-are-a-finance-department-priority.html "Untapped Cost Savings: Why Smart Building Management Systems are a Finance Department Priority") contracts in just a few lines of code. — A public algorithm that [search engines](https://www.financedigest.com/grelly-a-visual-search-engine-for-ebay.html "Grelly: A Visual Search Engine For Ebay") can use. — [Secure notary services](https://www.financedigest.com/how-financial-services-are-overhauling-security-to-defend-against-spoofing-scams.html "How financial services are overhauling security to defend against spoofing scams"). — Using the IC for legal purposes. In addition to hackathons, Dfinity encourages research on the Internet Computer through boot camps. Its 2022 IC Bootcamp invited startups to create projects for the Internet Computer blockchain. With funding, support, and mentorship, Dfinity is working with partners to create non-fungible tokens (NFTs), metaverse applications, dapps, and even [decentralized finance](https://www.financedigest.com/how-decentralized-finance-can-aid-in-the-acquisition-process.html "How Decentralized Finance can aid in the acquisition process") (DeFi) tools on the Internet Computer. ## Decentralizing With Dfinity In reality, the Internet Computer is going to make life a lot simpler for its users. It’s capable of [smart automation](https://www.financedigest.com/improving-your-home-with-smart-automation.html "Improving Your Home with Smart Automation"), which means you can automatically lock your door and turn off the A/C when you leave the house. It can even update your availability on Slack based on your Uber pickup time or the subway schedule. There’s no limit here, and that’s why further research into the IC is so important — it has the potential to upend the silos that currently make the internet so clunky. We rely on the internet for so much, but in reality, just a few tech titans own the infrastructure backing it up. It’s important to decentralize and liberate a system that we rely on so much, allowing for a more democratic setup that [brings people together](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-announces-partnerships-experience-event-ipx-bringing-together-all-players-in-the-partnership-economy-and-featuring-special-guest-trevor-noah.html "impact.com Announces Partnerships Experience Event, iPX, Bringing Together All Players in the Partnership Economy and Featuring Special Guest Trevor Noah"). The internet can only improve if we bring fresh, new perspectives, and Dfinity’s Internet Computer does just that. **This is a Sponsored Feature.** --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---