
We’re excited to hear your project.
Let’s collaborate!
Just imagine: you update content on one of your Drupal websites and it gets automatically synchronized across your whole network! That's Drupal on Blockchain in just a few words...
Say you manage a national library's infrastructure of Drupal websites. One for each one of its local branches.
Now, here's how moving all the user data stored in there from your centralized database onto a decentralized blockchain system would benefit you:
And I would also add: increased transparency, lower transaction costs...
But I'd better dive into more details on how Blockchain and Drupal can work together and how you can benefit from the decentralized architecture that they'd put together:
But first, here's Blockchain in plain words:
A decentralized shared system where multiple participants store their data, interact directly with each other, manage and keep record of their transactions.
How is it different from the “old” way of managing transactions across a network?
In short: blockchain enables you to set up a secure and immutable architecture for your network.
“Transparency” is the keyword here. Decentralizing a content distribution platform would benefit both content creators and content consumers:
This way: content creators get full control over their own content — there's no platform owner who could remove it to his/her liking — and get paid fairly and in real-time, for each piece of content that gets “consumed”.
Why would you want to decentralize your CMS — in this case, Drupal — and store your data on Blockchain?
To answer your question, let me highlight just a few of the inconveniences of managing your content on a centralized Drupal database:
And how would the 2 technologies work together? Considering the fundamental differences between them:
Before I try to answer your legitimate question, let me ask you this:
Do you seize any similarity between Drupal's “open data” phylosophy and Blockchain's “decentralized data” principle?
Now, here's how your hypothetical “Drupal on Blockchain” architecture would look like:
“But at what costs?” you might ask. What compromises would you need to make to run Drupal on Blockchain?
What challenges should you get prepared for?
Here are 2 potential “dares” to ponder upon:
This duo — Drupal and Blockchain — has generated quite a lot of talk these years. And quite a handful of promising initiatives and even prototypes have been presented (integrations with Etherium and bitcoin...)
From all these initiatives of the Drupal community, I've decided to put the spotlight onto the Blockchain module (not yet covered by Drupal's privacy policy).
Take it as a “scaffolding” to support your future “Drupal on Blockchain” architectures. It provides the functionality you need to:
The END!
This is the “why, how and at what costs” of this topic. One which has been on the lips (and on the Drupalcon slides) of members of the Drupal community for quite a while now.
What do you think?
Would such a decentralized Drupal on Blockchain architecture suit your own project's needs and constraints? Would you trade your central point of storage for the convenience of automated content synchronization?
Photo by Clint Adair on Unsplash
We’re excited to hear your project.
Let’s collaborate!