Decentralization is still a challenge, Amazon AWS "controls" nearly 23% of the Ethereum network

Editor's Note: This article comes fromBlock beats BlockBeats (ID: BlockBeats), reprinted by Odaily with authorization.

Editor's Note: This article comes from

Block beats BlockBeats (ID: BlockBeats)

Block beats BlockBeats (ID: BlockBeats)

, reprinted by Odaily with authorization.

Cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH, in their most basic form, are nothing more than pieces of software. Like any website or web application, they need to be hosted somewhere in order to function properly. The bitcoin network is relatively small, 300 gigabytes now, but the ethereum network is much larger, and it's harder to host devices at home, which makes it more dependent on hosting servers.

Pompliano tweeted that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos can shut down most cloud-based "DeFi" applications as long as he shuts down AWS. "If you're just starting a server with Uncle Jeff, you're not decentralized! "

But then Multicoin Capital managing partner TUSHAR JAIN replied: "If Jeff wants to shut down AWS, it is a crazy thing in itself, which will bring a blow to the entire Internet; secondly, the DeFi team can be hosted in another place, unless you say What’s more, the whole Internet is dead, with nowhere to go.”

Rhythm found that according to data from Ethernodes, 70.5% of Ethereum nodes run on hosting services, that is, cloud providers. And they are not all hosted by one service provider, but are hosted by different service providers. And about 32% of the nodes in this 70% run on AWS. This means that 23% of the Ethereum network is on AWS, which is less than a quarter of all nodes.

image descriptionhttp://Ethernodes.orgEthereum node distribution hosted on cloud servers

Eric Vorhees, founder of crypto trading app ShapeShift, made a similar point about Bitcoin: “Most Bitcoin nodes are also running on AWS. Because most of the servers are running on AWS.”http://Bitnodes.io)However, Vorhees' argument was refuted by another member of the crypto community. Citing bitnode data, Alex Thorn, an investor at blockchain venture firm Avon Ventures, noted that bitcoin nodes are "wider spread" across the network and appear to be run by home users.

Thorn concluded based on the data of Ethereum nodes: "Nearly 70% of Ethereum nodes run on cloud services, and 1/3 of them run on AWS.(

) If these nodes go offline, will the network still work? Specifically dapps, will they still work? Maybe, but 70% is a lot anyway (and it's an attack vector). "