Content Addressing

Definition ∞ Content addressing is a method where data is located by its content rather than its physical storage location. This technique generates a unique cryptographic hash for each piece of data, which then serves as its address or identifier. Instead of specifying a server or path, users request data using this hash, allowing for decentralized storage and retrieval across various nodes. This approach fundamentally alters how data integrity and availability are maintained, making systems more resilient to censorship and data manipulation.
Context ∞ In digital asset and blockchain contexts, content addressing is fundamental to decentralized storage solutions and peer-to-peer networks, ensuring that data referenced on a blockchain remains verifiable and immutable. This technology is critical for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized applications (dApps) that rely on persistent, verifiable data storage. The continuing advancement of content-addressed storage protocols aims to further enhance data security and accessibility within the web3 ecosystem.