Discover how you can get instant access to Filecoin (FIL) nodes as well as block explorers. Get the API key and start building on blockchains with NOWNodes.
Filecoin is a decentralized protocol specifically created to enable anyone to rent out spare storage space that already exists on their computer, and the mainnet for this specific network was launched in October of 2020.
Anyone is also given the opportunity to buy storage on the network. Due to the fact that anyone can join the network, this project has essentially created a source of data storage for anyone, and as more systems become added to the network, it will live up to the increased demand of storage needs of users.
FIlecoin was developed to offer a variety of different advantages when compared to centralized storage solutions. Specifically, by creating a larger free market for data storage, it can drive the price down and bring millions of computers on a global scale together to create a huge storage network that anyone can gain access to as it is based on blockchain technology.
FIlecoin utilizes existing resources instead of needing to build new storage computers, and while centralized solutions typically have the possibility of getting compromised or hacked, due to the fact that Filecoin is a distributed network, it has no single point of failure, and as such attacks are much harder to pull off.
Despite the existence of many other cryptocurrencies, Filecoin has a lot of advantages and here are just a couple of them.
Filecoin was built on P2P file storage and retrieval protocol known as the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). Filecoin users can essentially pay storage providers for storage, retrieval, and distribution of data. For these efforts, the providers receive rewards in the form of the native cryptocurrency token of the network, known as the FIL cryptocurrency.
Storage miners are the main types of miners found within this network. They can either be individuals or organizations which act as storage providers. Their main purpose is to perform several computationally intensive processes, known as proofs, and these systems are specifically created to secure the network.
These miners are responsible for the processing of data and are pre-fetchers of the data. In other words, their main purpose within the network is to retrieve the most downloaded files and deliver them to users in close proximity.
The Filecoin network can be accessed much easier today than it would have been to access just a few years ago. This is due to the fact that there are blockchain-as-a-service providers, such as NOWNodes, that will let you easily connect to a Filecoin (FIL) node within the span of less than a second, and this will, in turn, allow you to keep track of everything that happens within the network 24/7.
Specifically, if you are a developer that aims to create a decentralized application (dApp) that utilizes the features found within Filecoin as a storage solution, in that case, you will need to access blockchain data that can aid you throughout the development process.
This can include things such as the block height, the transaction status, the wallet balances, as well as any other similar type of information. NOWNodes is a service that will provide you with the ability to gain access to over 50 nodes, all of which can be easily accessible to you through the usage of an API key that will establish a secure RPC connection.
In fact, if you are genuinely curious about connecting to a Filecoin node, all you have to do is go to the official NOWNodes website, after which you can get a free API key by entering your email address and clicking on "GET FREE API KEY." You can find all of the relevant connection data in the official documentation.
A Filecoin block explorer is a tool that will let you synchronize to the network and will provide you with continuous data that you might require from it. This can include information such as the block height, hash rate, transaction status, the balance of a specific wallet, or any other information that you might require.
By connecting to the block explorer, you can get access to all of the aforementioned information. The API key through which you can connect will allow you to have a connection with an uptime of 99.95%, and the connection speed is less than a second.
