RavencoinIPFS is Here!
A new IPFS storage platform for the RVN community, with drag and drop files, folders, and encryption. Available at ravencoinipfs.com.
2021–04–13
Remember, remember the 5th of November….
The date was November 5, 2018. As The Ravening passed and assets went live on the Ravencoin network, Mango Farm was working hard to get out our first set of tools to make RVN assets easy for anyone. We released our Asset Viewer three days later, and launched the Mango Farm Asset Builder with IPFS integration on November 21, 2018.
Over the next two years, we proudly brought new and innovative second-layer features to Ravencoin through the free Mango Farm platform. In December 2018, we built Ravencoin’s first non-custodial web wallet with full asset support, where users hold their own keys under the BIP44 standard. We integrated it with an updated Asset Builder and Asset Viewer in March 2019, and added Trezor hardware wallet support in May 2019. We then designed a new encryption protocol, asset metadata spec, and tagging feature for Ravencoin, and used these to bring encryption to Ravencoin assets in November 2019.
Since then, we have been working hard on integrating these tools into operating products and services with our partners at IPAssets, including the turnkey e-commerce and blockchain asset platform used by the artist Rick Demont and several other exciting products coming soon™.
IPFS pinning and storage have always stood at the core of Mango Farm’s functionality, and from day one we have wanted to release a stand-alone IPFS service for users of other wallets and platforms — including the core desktop QT and mobile apps. It took us a while to get to it, and to get it right, but good things often take time. We are proud to finally bring you that service.
We call it RavencoinIPFS.
What is RavencoinIPFS?
Every Ravencoin asset or transaction comes with the ability to attach a special IPFS reference to a file. The reference is a cryptographic hash that looks something like this:
The file referenced by an IPFS hash can consist of anything — from an image or movie to contractual documentation linking the blockchain asset to legal rights or assets in the real world. If the file is pinned and available on an IPFS node, anyone can find it and view it on IPFS by referencing the hash.
But neither Ravencoin nor IPFS actually stores the file. While one or more nodes in the IPFS network might store it temporarily, there is no economic incentive for volunteer nodes to keep it accessible permanently. If you want to make sure your files will remain available to holders of your asset, you have to keep an IPFS node up yourself to ensure persistent, 24/7 access.
This is where RavencoinIPFS comes in. RavencoinIPFS is a simple but powerful file storage platform that we custom-made for the Ravencoin network. It allows you to persistently store, maintain and view IPFS hashes for use with any Ravencoin wallet to make assets.
You can also use it just to store files. We’ve been using it for our own files for months. If you ask us, it’s better than Dropbox. 💥
What Can I Do With RavencoinIPFS?
The RavencoinIPFS platform is packed with features in a simple interface. Here are a few highlights…
IPFS Folder Storage System and Files With Real Names. One of the downsides to using IPFS is that there is no user-friendly way to store documents that are referenced by a long string of letters and numbers. RavencoinIPFS fixes this. Now, you can store your files with real file names in folders and sub-folders, just like the file explorers you are used to.
Drag And Drop Functionality. RavencoinIPFS has simple, drag-and-drop functionality to add, move and delete files and folders. This makes IPFS super simple to use.
View, Download & Link Documents With One Click. Viewing, downloading and linking documents of all common file types is available with a single click. Whether the file is a simple contract stored in PDF, a song, or a large movie file, RavencoinIPFS has all the tools you need in one place.
Straightforward Encryption For Your IPFS Files. Every file you pin on the IPFS network is available for anyone to see. RavencoinIPFS has a simple user interface for encrypting files — like contracts and other important information — to shield them from public view over the IPFS network.
One click, enter a strong passphrase, move your mouse, and the file will be encrypted before upload.
You can decrypt your files with a click and the passphrase. You can also access the key at any time to send to others when you want to allow them access using the simple RavencoinIPFS Gateway, generate a decryption link that they can click to view the decrypted file in one step, or PGP encrypt the key if you know their public key — all from within the RavencoinIPFS platform.
RavencoinIPFS never has access to your encryption keys.
Scan or Copy Your Files To Use Them With Any RVN Wallet. RavencoinIPFS was designed to make using your IPFS files to build a Ravencoin asset or send a transaction memo easy. Whether you use one of the mobile wallets, the desktop QT, or the command line interface, all you need to do is upload your file to RavencoinIPFS and scan or copy the hash. It’s that simple.
Browse IPFS Files With the RavencoinIPFS Gateway. RavencoinIPFS has a free gateway on our homepage. To access it, just click on the cube in the lower right hand corner of the page (you can toggle between the uploader and the gateway there). Copy the hash for any IPFS file to view it in your browser for one-click access to any IPFS file.
Multi-Language Support. RavencoinIPFS is currently available in six languages — English, Korean, Turkish, Dutch, German, and Spanish.
We will add more languages over time to provide a local experience for Ravencoin users globally. To change click on the flag and select your chosen language.
If you would like to request a specific language, or assist with translation, please email us.
Use RavencoinIPFS on Desktop or Mobile. All of the features of RavnecoinIPFS can be used on your mobile device. This includes storing, encrypting, and viewing files of all types.
How Do I Sign Up?
Signing up for RavencoinIPFS is easy. Just click here, select one of the service tiers in the about or sign-up pages and verify your email by entering the code we send you. You can use an anonymous email account for this, but we need a verified email to send you a reminder if a payment is due. We care about your privacy and will never email you for any other reason, sell your email address to anyone, or use it for any other purpose. Period.
A note about pricing. We want RavencoinIPFS to be sustainable for the long-term. We set our initial pricing at a level where we think it will make the platform self-sustainable, and we hope to keep prices low and even reduce them. The more people use it, the more likely that will happen.
Oh, and we only accept one form of payment… RVN. Your account will have a unique Ravencoin address to send your monthly payment to.
RavencoinIPFS is brought to you by the creators of Mango Farm in partnership with IPAssets. We hope you like the platform. The first month of basic tier is free — try it out to see if you like the features, and let us know if you have any ideas to make it better. We will be integrating RavencoinIPFS with Mango Farm soon, and adding more features to both. Stay tuned!
Sincerely,
The RavencoinIPFS Team
website: https://www.ravencoinipfs.com
email: info@ravencoinipfs.com
Final Note: We wanted to take a minute in this post to give special thanks to our community friends who provided free translations of the RavencoinIPFS site. We really appreciate your help!
We would also like to thank TrueDev (RVN Discord truedev#2178), who we commissioned to design the homepage wallpaper for this project more than a year and a half ago. We think the design is really cool, and appreciate the excellent work. It has been awhile since you did it, but good things come to those who wait!
