DScan: Decentralized QR code generator chrome extension

#web3 #extension #ipfs #webpack

Introduction

DScan is a chrome extension that uploads the content to IPFS and generates decentralized QR codes. It is compatible with chromium-based browsers. Built by BUIDL Tools.

Benefits

DScan allows you to quickly upload files as well as folders to IPFS by using web3.storage and get a "decentralized QR code" with IPFS CID. Later you can share the QR code or hosted gateway link with everyone for easy and decentralized file sharing.

Benefits of DScan for file sharing:
✅ Decentralized storage
✅ Unlimited uploads
✅ Fast upload speed (will take around half hour to upload upto 1GB of data)
✅ Permanent pinning (web3.storage helps to permanently pin your content)
✅ Zero compression
✅ Private (Share QR codes or links instead of original data)
✅ Free to use
✅ User-friendly

Working

DScan uses web3.storage, basically it makes the content available over IPFS and permanently pins the content with the help of Filecoin infrastructure. Read more about web3.storage and how it works here.
We have our separate DScan API Token on web3.storage, it allows up to 1TB of content pinning, after that we can request more storage for our respective use.

After uploading the content to IPFS, web3.storage returns a CID Qmeq5NxNX644KHNjiWWbWTJHE94BQrXpMDqW4hVNs1WHrk, which is a hash for an array of files stored on IPFS (for files {wrapWithDirectory: false}), and that later is combined with IPFS gateway link https://dweb.link/ipfs/ to access the content.
QR code is generated with the help of IPFS gateway link https://dweb.link/ipfs/Qmeq5NxNX644KHNjiWWbWTJHE94BQrXpMDqW4hVNs1WHrk, which later you can scan.

Remember, anyone can access the content if they have your CID unless there is some encryption involved. So, make sure you save the CID securely for private uploading (we DO NOT recommend uploading confidential content). IPFS folks are currently working on the private network, read more about it here.