Elastos

World Computer Initiative (WCI) – March 2025 Community Update!

Before diving into our latest progress, let’s set the stage with a powerful vision. We’re building a new internet—one where every person owns a personal virtual computer that runs on any device, connects via decentralized identity, and taps into a personal NAS station aka private cloud. This personal cloud, in turn, links easily with a peer-to-peer (P2P) network of millions of other user-operated nodes. By giving everyone the ability to run personal AIs on their locally encrypted data, and by conducting markets under blockchain law, we eliminate the need for centralized conglomerates and usher in a new peer-to-peer paradigm in digital empowerment.

 

Illustrating the World Computer Vision

  1. Virtual Computer with Decentralized Identity. Users login to a “virtual computer” using decentralized credentials—no giant databases or Big Tech gatekeepers. This OS can be accessed from any device, anywhere in the world.
  2. Personal NAS Station (Your Private Cloud). Each user owns a small, cost-effective NAS device at home. It encrypts and stores your files, hosts your private AI models, and manages IoT devices—fully under your control.
  3. P2P Networking. Your NAS station talks directly to millions of other devices on a global P2P network, free from centralized servers or censorship. The result: a new, user-owned internet where no single corporation can block or monitor your activity.
  4. Blockchain Law. Smart contracts handle payments and manage rights. Ownership, royalties, subscriptions, or AI service fees become transparent and tamper-proof.

When we merge decentralized identity with a personal cloud (NAS) and blockchain-governed markets, we re-engineer the web from the ground up—ensuring user autonomy, private AI compute, and unstoppable peer-to-peer trade. This synergy is the heart of Elastos and the World Computer Initiative.

 

Introduction: What is the World Computer Initiative?

Welcome to the latest update on the World Computer Initiative (WCI)—an ambitious project dedicated to building a truly decentralized, secure, and privacy-oriented computing ecosystem! Our mission is to return control of the digital realm to individuals, away from centralized corporations and exploitative data-theft business models. On January 31, 2025, the Cyber Republic Council (the Elastos DAO) PASSED Proposal #180, titled “Empowering ElastOS: The World Computer Initiative.” Proposed by Sash | Elacity and referred by Rong Chen, this motion secures funding and official CR backing to accelerate:

  • Elacity dDRM v2 rollouts (the consumer-facing Elastos dApp and digital asset marketplace).
  • Core development for the “World Computer” vision, bridging Elacity’s dDRM platform with Rong Chen’s dream for a PC2.net-based Virtual Computer OS (“ElastOS”).
  • DePIN Partnerships: Integrating decentralized NAS station hardware and personal cloud nodes into the Elastos ecosystem.
  • Technical Milestones: Weekly or monthly updates on a roadmap spanning from Q1 to Q3 2025, culminating in a Beta environment for “ElastOS v1” by the end of September 2025.

Key Motives:

  • Address Elastos’ “flagship product” gap by uniting marketing with real consumer-facing software—Elacity v3.
  • Align with VC feedback urging Rong Chen to reclaim his “founding father of Web3” leadership role, focusing on a true World Computer for 2025.
  • Scale Elacity to handle advanced NFT-based goods (royalties, time-based subscriptions, private & public channels) and eventually expand to software, gaming, AI, and more.
  • Coordinate multiple engineering teams (Elacity, OS, DePIN) and remain agile while providing consistent accountability and transparent monthly updates to the CRC.

 

Recent World Computer Strategic Developments

1. The Home NAS Device: Bringing Decentralization Home

We’re excited to confirm that production for our new Home NAS device will be ready in ~3–4 months. But what is a NAS?

  • NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a personal storage device on your home network. It helps you store data privately (vs. corporate clouds).
  • Our Home NAS takes it further: it’s decentralized, runs apps locally, encrypts your data, and pairs with IoT/smart-home devices.

Key Hardware Features

  • Two hard drive slots for secure storage.
  • Ethernet, Wi-Fi, HDMI, plus a front-facing touch display (borrowed from low-cost e-moped control panels).
  • Android/Linux OS for a friendly, plug-and-play user experience, including Google TV support.
  • Multiple secure login options: WeChat (QR pairing), Web2 logins, Web3 wallet logins (Elastos, Particle Network).

Why It Matters

  • Turnkey “private cloud” at home—no one else can see or manage your data.
  • AI at Home: Imagine running local AI models (chatbots, personal assistants) on the NAS, so your data is never shared externally.
  • Connect from anywhere: Remotely access your Home NAS globally with full encryption.

 

2. Digital Photo Frames as Decentralized Displays

The Shanghai (DePIN) hardware team already is producing digital photo frames that can be rebranded or customized with advanced features:

  • They may soon integrate WebAssembly (WASM) to run lightweight, decentralized apps at near-native speed.
  • Imagine a frame that securely displays photos and connects to your NAS—no corporate cloud in-between.
  • The same logic extends to IoT devices: with a private cloud (the Home NAS), you can link health devices, home robotics, or even your smartwatch, all under your control.

3. Introducing Puter: Your Personal Decentralized Cloud

As the base for runtime, we’re integrating the Puter platform—a “virtual computer” or “Web3 OS”—with the Home NAS. But what is Puter?

  • A decentralized personal cloud: self-host your files, run compute tasks, and enable peer-to-peer social and data interactions.
  • Google Drive without Google. Dropbox without Dropbox. Everything is run on your own hardware, so you decide who accesses your data.

Integration Steps

  1. Standalone Puter Software: A version that supports wallet logins (Elastos or Particle).
  2. Home NAS Integration: Turn your NAS into a personal cloud, seamlessly connected to Puter.
  3. P2P Features: Encrypted messaging, file sharing, NFT-based digital goods.
  4. Long-term: Puter apps become NFTs—buy, sell, or trade them securely on a decentralized marketplace (e.g., Elacity).

 

4. Secure, Decentralized Authentication via Particle Network

We’re currently implementing Particle Network for decentralized Web3 logins—estimated to complete in ~4 to 6 weeks. But why move to Web3 logins?

  • Centralized logins depend on big databases, which are hackable or censorable.
  • Particle Network uses crypto wallet authentication with abstraction—radically increasing security and privacy but also enabling a friendly user experience.

 

5. Elacity dDRM & NFTs: Redefining Digital Trade

A cornerstone of the World Computer is NFT-based digital rights management (DRM):

  • Every application, service, or piece of content can become an NFT—enabling transparent royalties, licensing, and monetization.
  • Elacity’s decentralized DRM platform is launching version 3 in ~3 weeks, letting creators mint and sell audio and video digital goods directly, no middlemen required. The continuation of this technology will emerge as SDKs and become available in Puter.

Elacity testnet

 

We plan to make the Home NAS P2P-capable, so devices talk directly—no central server.

  • IPFS is a key technology for distributed file storage; files are chunked, encrypted, and stored across multiple nodes.
  • The NAS might maintain two partitions:
    1. Private (encrypted) partition for personal data.
    2. Shared IPFS partition for optionally “publishing” or sharing files globally and earning token rewards.

SuperEXE: Ensuring Trustworthy Computing. We’re exploring SuperEXE, an additional secure runtime environment that verifies modules and services before they run. So why is SuperEXE valuable?

  • Traditional apps can be tampered with or hacked.
  • SuperEXE cryptographically verifies each piece of software, ensuring it’s genuine and not compromised for general purpose digital capsules.

This creates what we call a three-dimensional trust model

  1. Users trust the hardware and OS.
  2. Creators trust the runtime to protect their IP from piracy or tampering.
  3. Service providers (e.g., networks, streaming) trust the device’s authentication and proof of ownership (NFT-based).

 

Extended World Computer Discussion and Roadmap

Hardware Partnerships

  1. DePIN Team
    • Producing the Home NAS and photo frames, can rebrand them (e.g., “Elacity”).
    • Seeking international market exposure; sees Web3 devices as a strategic edge.
  2. Mini-Apps & Ecosystem
    • 50–100 “mini-apps” (WeChat backup, iWatch data export, note-taking, etc.) ready to be ported.
    • Interested in exploring decentralized capabilities on top of Puter + Home NAS.

 

Proposed Roadmap

  1. Short-Term
    • Release Elacity v3 for NFT-based DRM.
    • Integrate Particle login (~4–6 weeks) to Puter.
    • Finalize the initial Home NAS MVP (private data + simple Web3 login).
    • Onboard the NAS device into a “vertical market” prototype (storage, NFT-based content, wallet logins).
    • Collaborate with Beijing mini-app developers to broaden use cases.
  2. Medium-Term
    • Deploy advanced P2P networking (PC2.net).
    • Expand mini-app ecosystem to handle tasks like AI, advanced IoT, or specialized data management.
    • Bridge everything with a user-friendly “World Computer OS.”
  3. Long-Term
    • Implement SuperEXE at scale: no tampering, no unverified modules.
    • Build an advanced decentralized marketplace for apps, digital goods, and services, all NFT-based.
    • Achieve a full “Web3 World Computer” vision, bridging hardware, software, and blockchain into an all-in-one portal.

We welcome community input and collaboration. Let’s build the future—together. Thank you for reading this comprehensive overview. Feel free to share it with your community or pass it to an AI for podcast creation. Together, we’re forging a new internet built on decentralization—one personal device at a time.

 

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