Teragone Tests IPFS Distribution for Cardano Mithril Snapshots

Teragone has completed a proof of concept for distributing and restoring Mithril snapshots through IPFS, according to Intersect’s October 30 weekly update.

Intersect reported that two milestones, M1.1 and M1.2, were approved for a combined 658,718 ADA. The work included changes to Mithril’s aggregator and client, testing infrastructure, and documentation of the results.

A New Distribution Path for Mithril Data

Mithril is a Cardano protocol that uses stake-based signatures to certify blockchain data. One application allows a node to download and verify a certified database snapshot, helping it prepare for use without synchronizing the entire chain from the beginning.

Participating stake pool operators sign the data, and an aggregator combines those signatures into a certificate. A Mithril client can then use the certificate to verify the downloaded snapshot.

Teragone’s test examined the distribution and restoration of snapshot data through IPFS, a system that lets computers store and share content across a network. Intersect described the work as a way to reduce reliance on centralized cloud infrastructure.

The proof of concept also examined changes needed in the aggregator and client. Its findings are intended to inform an initial functional version of the IPFS approach.

Mithril Team Prepares a Phased Rollout

The team has since defined a strategy for gradually introducing IPFS distribution, Mithril technical lead Jean-Philippe Raynaud reported in an October 28 development update.

Developers also documented how to replicate immutable archives using a Kubo node, an implementation of IPFS. These archives contain portions of Cardano’s blockchain database that are no longer expected to change.

The team continued working on a way to set the proportion of downloads handled through IPFS in the Mithril client. That work was still in progress at the time of the update.

An earlier Mithril release, distribution 2642, introduced preliminary IPFS support as a storage location for immutable files. The team’s October 21 report described the support as unstable.

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Approved Milestones and Next Development Steps

Intersect reported that milestones M1.1 and M1.2 had been approved for a combined 658,718 ADA. The organization’s update did not state that the amount had already been paid.

Raynaud’s October 28 report also recorded that the team had addressed findings from the audits of both milestones. Alongside the IPFS work, developers continued preparing an upgrade to Cardano Node 11.2.

Mithril is already used to certify Cardano blockchain data. For snapshot distribution, Intersect’s proposed next stage uses the proof-of-concept results to develop an initial IPFS implementation, with cloud storage intended to remain available as a fallback.