The InterPlanetary File System, or IPFS, is a suite of protocols for sharing content-addressed data. Files and other objects are represented through content identifiers, called CIDs, that incorporate cryptographic hashes and formatting information. IPFS is not itself a blockchain, and storing a file through it does not record that file in every blockchain node.
Identifying content instead of a host
A CID identifies particular encoded content rather than the server that holds it. Available peers can supply the data, and clients can verify retrieved blocks against their identifiers. The same file added with different chunking or encoding settings can produce different CIDs, so a CID is not simply the ordinary hash of a file.
Web applications can reference IPFS content directly or use a gateway to retrieve it through familiar web access. NFT projects often use it for metadata or media.
Availability and privacy need separate arrangements
A CID does not guarantee that a reachable copy will always exist. Pinning tells a node to retain content instead of removing it through routine garbage collection; operators or storage services must keep those copies available.
IPFS uses transport encryption, but does not encrypt stored content by default. Publicly shared files and network metadata can expose information. Content verification therefore does not imply confidentiality, anonymity, or permanent storage.