Interplanetary Filesystem (IPFS) is one of the largest peer-to-peer filesystems in operation. The network is the default storage layer for Web3 and is being presented as a solution to the centralization of the web. In this paper, we present a large-scale, multi-modal measurement study of the IPFS network. We analyze the topology, the traffic, the content providers and the entry points from the classical Internet. Our measurements show significant centralization in the IPFS network and a high share of nodes hosted in the cloud. We also shed light on the main stakeholders in the ecosystem. We discuss key challenges that might disrupt continuing efforts to decentralize the Web and highlight multiple properties that are creating pressures toward centralization.

翻译：星际文件系统（IPFS）是当前运行规模最大的点对点文件系统之一。该网络作为Web3的默认存储层，被视为解决网络中心化问题的方案。本文对IPFS网络开展了大规模多模态测量研究，系统分析了网络拓扑结构、流量特征、内容提供者以及传统互联网的入口节点。测量结果表明：IPFS网络中存在着显著的中心化趋势，且节点高度集中于云服务提供商。我们还揭示了生态系统中的主要利益相关者，讨论了可能阻碍Web去中心化进程的关键挑战，并剖析了多个引发中心化压力的关键属性。