This blockchain-based company got $30 million to build a ‘new internet’

Cloud computing has quickly become one of the biggest innovations introduced by the internet. Cloud storage has allowed many businesses to streamline their operations, while it lets families share photos and videos with the people they care about. And whenproper security measuresare used, it can also reduce the risk of data theft.

But cloud computing isn’t without its challenges — especially when it comes to monetization. Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, and Google currentlyaccount for nearly three-quarters of cloud computing market share. That’s a lot of revenue that isn’t seeing much in the way of public distribution.

This is something that DADI (the Decentralized Architecture for a Democratic Internet) seeks to change. This global blockchain startup has already accrued nearly $30 million in funding, all in an effort to create a “new internet” where everyday households can become bigger contributors to cloud computing — and even generate some passive income in the process.

Ultimately, DADI hopes to serve as a decentralized network that will allow users to create, store and provide content — hearkening back to the principles ofequal distributionthat helped foster the internet’s creation.

Rather than forcing everyone to rely on data centers owned by a few large corporations, DADI’s focus is on peer-to-peer collaboration. The network would use its programming to find sources of available computational power, and then distribute cloud-based tasks based on that device’s capacity. Of course, the system also allows individuals to build dedicated nodes that are specifically designed for DADI hosting.

This unique approach would allow almost any cloud-connected device to serve as a node to support computational tasks — the DADI team is even working onutilizing everyday productslike smart speakers and WiFi lightbulbs as potential nodes.

Unused capacity from any of these connected objects could be used to support the cloud.

With a widespread, decentralized cloud system, web users would no longer need to rely on the dictates of a major corporation. Rather than having cloud storage limited to a few large data centers, cloud computing would become a truly global operation.

DADI’s efforts to build a new approach to cloud computing isn’t merely about developing a superior user experience — it’s also designed to create positive social change.