From File Sharing to Web3 Foundations: How BitTorrent Pioneered the Decentralised Internet.
Before blockchain, smart contracts, or DAOs, BitTorrent was already proving the power of true decentralisation.
Long before “Web3” existed, BitTorrent showed how millions could share data directly and efficiently, no central servers, no gatekeepers.
The Internet’s Bottleneck
Traditional downloads rely on a single server. When demand spikes, speed drops. BitTorrent reversed that logic: every downloader also uploads. The more peers, the faster the network, a true peer-to-peer symphony.
Pieces, Hashes, and Shared Power
Files are split into small, hashed pieces. Each peer verifies authenticity, then shares those pieces with others. Bandwidth becomes a collective resource, not a bottleneck.
Finding Peers in the Swarm
Peers connect via trackers or decentralised methods like DHT and PEX. Even if a tracker fails, the network survives, self-healing and unstoppable.
Fairness by Design
BitTorrent’s algorithms prioritise the rarest file pieces and reward active uploaders. It’s a system that encourages contribution and discourages freeloading, pure decentralised logic.
The Beauty of Completion
Once your file is whole, you become a seeder, helping others. More seeders mean faster downloads for everyone, the digital version of collective good.
Why It Still Matters
Even in 2025, BitTorrent remains one of the most successful decentralised systems ever built. Its principles, trust minimisation, cryptographic verification, distributed participation, are the same that power Web3, blockchains, and DePINs today.
BitTorrent wasn’t just about file sharing, it was the blueprint for the decentralised web.
