<p>This is it - the <a href="https://github.com/tarcieri/cryptosphere" rel="nofollow">CryptoSphere</a>.</p>

<p>It uses some Bitcoin concepts, and might support paying for storage using Bitcoins. I believe that "merge-mining it" using the Bitcoin blockchain would be possible (it's too soon to tell, the design is preliminary).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-18T00:52:04.523Z
Page 404's now.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-04T10:28:08.367Z
2012-08-04T10:28:08.367Z
ripper234
<p>Namecoin is more or less what you're asking for.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-13T09:39:26.950Z
Namecoin can be the basis of what I'm looking for ... but does it have high level DB-like API?
ripper234
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-13T11:33:25.663Z
Hi GDR! One-line answers are usually not very helpful to other readers. Try to expand the answer to explain a little bit about Namecoin and why it is what OP is asking for.
D.H.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-13T09:20:45.080Z
2012-07-13T09:20:45.080Z
GDR
<p><a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin-Powered_Database">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin-Powered_Database</a></p>

<p>As far I know, the Bitcoin blockchain is pretty much the only data structure that is both global and tamper-proof.</p>

<p><strong>global</strong> - There is one global instance of the blockchain (up to forks ... which are then resolved).
<strong>tamper-proof</strong> - If a block enters the blockchain, after 6+ confirmations this block can't feasibly be faked or altered.</p>

<p>A Bitcoin-powered database would be an API over the blockchain, that would expose a subset of the usual <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crud">CRUD</a> database operations. In fact, it would be an append-only data structure, because nothing can ever be really deleted from the blockchain - so only CREATE and READ operations will be implemented. Object Versioning will be used to emulate updates and deletions.</p>

<p>Have there been previous attempts to create such a database? I have seen the <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=53062.0">MerkleWeb</a> proposal, but I haven't really understood it, so I'm not sure if it answers my question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-17T10:49:50.687Z
@BenReeves - Hmm, I'm not sure, for two reasons - 1. You have to keep paying to get your data stored, unlike Bitcoin (for good or bad). 2. Could you distinguish a record created five years ago and renewed yearly from a record created yesterday? If not, that's not good enough for this purpose. I believe there isn't a direct API based on Namecoin that offers this. Perhaps it would be easier to write such an API over Namecoin than over Bitcoin.
ripper234
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-24T14:52:38.990Z
@ripper: Every namecoin op is stored in the (namecoin) blockchain just like bitcoin. so you do not have to pay to get your data stored but only to keep control over a name/value pair. Looking at the chain it is possible to determine all previous ops.
kermit
<blockchain>
Have there been attempts at a Bitcoin-powered general purpose database?
ripper234
# Have there been attempts at a Bitcoin-powered general purpose database?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-06-16)

<https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin-Powered_Database>

As far I know, the Bitcoin blockchain is pretty much the only data structure that is both global and tamper-proof.

**global** - There is one global instance of the blockchain (up to forks ... which are then resolved).
**tamper-proof** - If a block enters the blockchain, after 6+ confirmations this block can't feasibly be faked or altered.

A Bitcoin-powered database would be an API over the blockchain, that would expose a subset of the usual [CRUD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crud) database operations. In fact, it would be an append-only data structure, because nothing can ever be really deleted from the blockchain - so only CREATE and READ operations will be implemented. Object Versioning will be used to emulate updates and deletions.

Have there been previous attempts to create such a database? I have seen the [MerkleWeb](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=53062.0) proposal, but I haven't really understood it, so I'm not sure if it answers my question.

**Tags:** blockchain

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @BenReeves - Hmm, I'm not sure, for two reasons - 1. You have to keep paying to get your data stored, unlike Bitcoin (for good or bad). 2. Could you distinguish a record created five years ago and renewed yearly from a record created yesterday? If not, that's not good enough for this purpose. I believe there isn't a direct API based on Namecoin that offers this. Perhaps it would be easier to write such an API over Namecoin than over Bitcoin.  
> **username_1**: @ripper: Every namecoin op is stored in the (namecoin) blockchain just like bitcoin. so you do not have to pay to get your data stored but only to keep control over a name/value pair. Looking at the chain it is possible to determine all previous ops.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2012-08-04. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

This is it - the [CryptoSphere](https://github.com/tarcieri/cryptosphere).

It uses some Bitcoin concepts, and might support paying for storage using Bitcoins. I believe that "merge-mining it" using the Bitcoin blockchain would be possible (it's too soon to tell, the design is preliminary).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Page 404's now.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2012-07-13. Score: 1

Namecoin is more or less what you're asking for.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Namecoin can be the basis of what I'm looking for ... but does it have high level DB-like API?  
> **username_4**: Hi username_3! One-line answers are usually not very helpful to other readers. Try to expand the answer to explain a little bit about Namecoin and why it is what OP is asking for.  

---

