🧱 Foundational Projects
1. Content-Addressed Storage System
Goal: Implement core content addressing mechanism
Key Components:
● SHA-256 hashing for content identifiers (CIDs)
● Immutable block storage
● CID resolution mechanism
Required Tech: crypto/sha256, multiformats/go-multihash, filesystem
operations
Skills Gained: Content addressing, cryptographic hashing, data immutability
2. Kademlia DHT Implementation
Goal: Build distributed peer discovery system
go
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package dht
import (
"crypto/rand"
"net"
)
type Node struct {
ID [20]byte
Addr *net.UDPAddr
}
func NewNode() *Node {
var id [20]byte
rand.Read(id[:])
return &Node{ID: id}
}
func (n *Node) FindClosestPeers(target [20]byte, k int) []Node {
// Implement Kademlia XOR distance metric
// Return k closest peers to target
}
Key Components:
● XOR-based peer distance metric
● K-bucket routing tables
● UDP-based peer discovery protocol
Required Tech: UDP networking (net), Kademlia paper, x/crypto
Skills Gained: P2P networking, distributed lookups, proximity routing
3. BitSwap Protocol Engine
Goal: Create data exchange mechanism
go
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package bitswap
import (
"sync"
)
type Session struct {
WantList map[string]bool
PeerLedger map[string]int // Data accounting
mu sync.Mutex
}
func (s *Session) RequestBlock(cid string, peerID string) {
s.mu.Lock()
defer s.mu.Unlock()
s.WantList[cid] = true
// Send want-list to peer
}
func (s *Session) ReceiveBlock(cid string, peerID string, data []byte) {
// Store block and update ledger
s.PeerLedger[peerID] += len(data) // Track bytes received
}
Key Components:
● Want-list propagation
● Data trading strategy
● Ledger-based accounting
Required Tech: Protocol Buffers, gRPC streams, libp2p (reference)
Skills Gained: Data trading systems, incentive mechanisms, protocol design
4. MerkleDAG Constructor
Goal: Build IPFS's foundational data structure
go
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package merkledag
import (
"encoding/json"
"ipfs-cas" // Our previous project
)
type Node struct {
Links []Link
Data []byte
}
type Link struct {
Name string
Hash string // CID
Size int
}
func BuildDirectory(files map[string][]byte) string {
// Create directory structure with linked files
var links []Link
for name, data := range files {
cid := cas.StoreBlock(data)
links = append(links, Link{Name: name, Hash: cid})
}
dirNode := Node{Links: links}
dirData, _ := json.Marshal(dirNode)
return cas.StoreBlock(dirData)
}
Key Components:
● Protobuf block encoding
● IPLD (InterPlanetary Linked Data)
● Directory sharding
Required Tech: ipfs/go-ipld-cbor, Protocol Buffers, go-unixfs
Skills Gained: Merkle structures, content-addressable DAGs, data sharding
5. libp2p Transport Layer
Goal: Create modular network stack
go
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package transport
import (
"net"
ma "github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr"
)
type Transport interface {
Dial(addr ma.Multiaddr) (net.Conn, error)
Listen(addr ma.Multiaddr) (net.Listener, error)
}
type WebSocketTransport struct{}
func (t *WebSocketTransport) Dial(addr ma.Multiaddr) (net.Conn, error) {
// Implement WebSocket dialing
}
func (t *WebSocketTransport) Listen(addr ma.Multiaddr) (net.Listener, error) {
// Implement WebSocket listening
}
Key Components:
● Multiaddr address format
● Transport abstraction layer
● Connection multiplexing
Required Tech: WebSockets (gorilla/websocket), QUIC (quic-go), Noise
protocol
Skills Gained: Network abstraction, protocol multiplexing, NAT traversal
🔍 IPFS Protocol Deep Dive
Core Concepts
Component Purpose Key Spec
CID Content identifier format CID Specification
Multihash Self-describing hashes Multihash Spec
libp2p Modular P2P network stack libp2p Documentation
IPLD Data model for content-addressed structures IPLD Specifications
Bitswap Block exchange protocol Bitswap Spec
Essential Libraries
go
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import (
"github.com/ipfs/go-cid" // CID implementation
"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p" // Core networking
"github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-format" // MerkleDAG interfaces
"github.com/ipfs/go-bitswap" // Data exchange
"github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr" // Network addresses
)
Critical Papers
1. Kademlia: A Peer-to-peer Information System
2. IPFS - Content Addressed, Versioned, P2P File System
3. BitSwap: Incentivized Robust Bandwidth Sharing
🚀 Learning Path
Diagram
Code
Download
Content Addressing
Distributed DHT
Data Exchange Protocol
MerkleDAG Structures
libp2p Networking
Full IPFS Node
Tool Mastery Roadmap
Phase Focus Area Key Libraries
1 Cryptography multiformats/go-multihash,
libp2p/go-libp2p-crypto
2 Networking libp2p/go-libp2p,
libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht, quic-go
3 Data Structures ipfs/go-ipld-cbor, ipfs/go-unixfs,
ipfs/go-hamt-ipld
4 System ipfs/go-ipfs, ipfs/testground, ipfs/kubo
Integration (reference implementation)
📌 Implementation Strategy
1. Start Small
Build single-node content storage with CIDv1 identifiers
2. bash
3. Copy
4. Download
$ echo "Hello IPFS" | go run main.go store
5. > bafkreiexamplehash
6. Add Distributed Capabilities
Implement Kademlia DHT for peer discovery across multiple nodes
7. Enable Data Exchange
Create BitSwap protocol for block trading between peers
8. Construct Complex Structures
Build directory trees using MerkleDAG with IPLD
9. Abstract Networking
Add support for multiple transports (WebSocket, QUIC)
10.Integrate Components
Combine into unified IPFS-like node:
11.go
12.Copy
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node := ipfs.NewNode(
libp2p.Transport(websocket.New()),
libp2p.Routing(dht.New()),
ipfs.BitswapEngine(NewBitSwap()),
14.)
Contribution Pathway
1. Study go-ipfs codebase
2. Solve IPFS Implementation Challenges
3. Join IPFS Implementers Calls
4. Contribute to libp2p Go implementations
"Focus on protocol specifications before optimizations. IPFS's power comes from its
layered protocol design." - Protocol Labs Mantra