GuardianDB is a decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) database built on top of IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). It is designed as a complete rewrite of OrbitDB in Rust, focusing on superior performance, memory safety, and advanced features.
Discover GuardianDB. Explore the project source code.
GuardianDB is a complete rewrite of OrbitDB in Rust, designed to overcome the limitations of previous implementations while providing superior performance, safety, and functionality.
Think of GuardianDB as having a “MongoDB” or “CouchDB”, but without a central server, running on IPFS, where each participant keeps a copy and shares changes.
The main idea behind GuardianDB is to allow applications to store and share data without relying on centralized servers. It uses CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) to synchronize data among network participants and prevent conflicts, where each participant maintains a copy of the database and shares changes directly with others.
“We’re focused on consolidating the foundation, removing conceptual rough edges, polishing the internal design, and preparing the path to 1.0. This includes replacing slog with tracing + tracing-subscriber, improving consistency across internal modules, and creating a clearer experience for contributors.”
We’re looking for Rust Developers who want to:
- Build solid tests
- Write and improve documentation
- Contribute to the ipfs_core module
- Help with the migration from slog to tracing + tracing-subscriber
Top 4 contributors
Our group of contributors brings together diverse talents, ranging from visionary developers to dedicated members of the open source community.
William Maslonek
Software Engineer and Developer
Rhye Moore
Diretor de engenharia
Helga Steiner
Arquiteto
Ivan Lawrence
Gerente de projeto
Core Rust Advantages
- Type Safety: Compile-time guarantees prevent runtime errors
- Performance: Zero-cost abstractions and LLVM optimizations
- Memory Safety: Ownership system prevents leaks and use-after-free
- Decentralization: Peer-to-peer architecture with no single points of failure
- Native IPFS: Integrated IPFS Core API implementation
- Event-Driven: Reactive, type-safe event system with Tokio
- Zero Runtime: Standalone binaries without VM or interpreter requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GuardianDB for?
GuardianDB is designed to create decentralized applications that need to store and share data securely and efficiently, without relying on a central server. It is ideal for scenarios where decentralization, censorship resistance, and data sovereignty are important. In essence, GuardianDB provides the tools to build the next generation of web applications, where users have more control over their data and applications are more resilient and open.
What are the use cases of GuardianDB?
Decentralized Applications (dApps): It is the perfect foundation for building social networks, content platforms, voting systems, or any application that benefits from having no central point of failure or control.
Secure Data Sharing: Allows users and devices to exchange information directly with each other (peer-to-peer) in an encrypted and secure manner.
Offline-First Databases: Applications built with GuardianDB can operate offline, as each participant has a local copy of the database. Changes are synchronized with other participants when the connection is restored.
Censorship Resistance: Since data is distributed across a network of participants, it is much harder for a single entity to censor or remove information.
Audit Trails and Immutable Logs: The Event Log Store is perfect for creating activity records that cannot be altered, ensuring data integrity and transparency.
IoT (Internet of Things) Applications: Devices can use GuardianDB to share data securely and autonomously, without the need for a central server to mediate communication.
Why GuardianDB is Superior?
Compared to Original OrbitDB (JavaScript):
- Memory Safety: Zero memory vulnerabilities thanks to Rust’s ownership system
- Superior Performance: Elimination of V8 overhead and garbage collector
- Type Safety: Compile-time error prevention vs JavaScript runtime errors
- Native Binary: Standalone executables without Node.js runtime dependencies
- True Concurrency: Fearless concurrency with Tokio async runtime
Compared to OrbitDB (Go):
- Zero-Cost Abstractions: High-level abstractions without performance overhead
- Ownership System: Deterministic memory management vs Go’s garbage collector
- LLVM Optimization: Compilation to highly optimized machine code
- Safe Concurrency: Thread-safe by design vs potential goroutine data races
- Predictable Performance: No GC pauses, consistent latency
If you’re into distributed systems, IPFS, decentralized databases, or just want to get your hands dirty with a different kind of open-source project, join us!
- Contribute
- Give feedback
- Submit a Pull Request
