IPFS

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing files, where each file is addressed by a fingerprint of its content rather than by a server location. In crypto it is the standard home for NFT images and metadata, because content addressing guarantees that the file a token points to cannot be silently swapped for a different one.

When a file is added to IPFS, it gets a content identifier (CID) derived from its data; anyone holding that CID can fetch the file from any node that has it, and can verify the bytes match the identifier. For example, an NFT's metadata might point to ipfs://bafybe... — if the image were altered in any way, its CID would change, so the link either returns the original or nothing.

A common misconception is that IPFS stores files forever by itself; it is a distribution protocol, not permanent storage, and a file remains available only while at least one node chooses to keep ("pin") it. Projects therefore pay pinning services or use incentive layers like Filecoin or Arweave for persistence. For NFT buyers, the practical takeaway is that IPFS-backed metadata is tamper-evident and much more durable than a project's own web server, but its longevity still depends on someone continuing to host the data.