What is the P2P system?

A peer-to-peer network is a different way of networking because it does not use a server station, but rather each “server” computer is the people who contribute to this system.

A peer-to-peer network, peer-to-peer network, peer-to-peer network or peer-to-peer (P2P) network is a network of computers in which all or some aspects operate without fixed clients or servers, but rather a series of nodes that behave as equal to each other

Moreover, they act simultaneously as clients and servers concerning the other nodes in the network. P2P networks allow the direct exchange of information, in any format, between interconnected computers.

To participate in this peer-to-peer network, the user has to connect to the network through the software on his computer, which gives him the possibility of participating as a client or as a server; it is a decentralized model because, as already mentioned, there is no central server.

Many applications such as Spotify or Napster started this way as a peer-to-peer network, but because offering music or movie services through decentralized servers is considered piracy, the model was changed.

It was also due to Spotify’s growth that they decided to create a central server to offer the service.

One of the advantages offered by this system is that each user can manage their equipment, without the need for technical knowledge, because everything depends only on the software and the number of users who are using it to have a greater reach.

Although everything seems to be good it also has some disadvantages and the main one is that, although you do not have to have technical knowledge about how it works, you have to be very careful because if you do not have an antivirus system on your computer you can introduce the virus to the peer to peer network and have access to the information of all users who are within the network.

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology use a P2P network so we at The Blue Manakin care to explain how this system works as it is something you will come across many times while browsing the crypto world.