The champagne corks are popping in BitTorrent’s offices after the file sharing network passed the milestone of 2 billion installs.
The impressive benchmark, which puts other file sharing services in the shade, was gleefully seized upon by the company’s CEO, Justin Sun, as evidence of the progress it has made under his stewardship.
When TRON acquired BitTorrent in 2018, the file sharing network that was founded by Bram Cohen in 2004 was looking forlorn.
It had the user base, but a lack of innovation had left it lagging behind other file sharing services for speed and user-friendliness.
Since Sun took the reins, BitTorrent has been revitalized and is now deeply embedded in the TRON ecosystem.
To celebrate passing the 2 billion installation mark, the company has announced 30% off Windows-based BitTorrent and µTorrent Pro subscriptions.
BitTorrent Enters the League of One
BitTorrent was already the world’s most successful and popular file sharing network prior to this week’s milestone. Passing 2 billion installs has merely cemented its status as the market leader and shown the incumbents how far they must go to catch up.
That’s not to say it’s all been plain sailing however: BitTorrent has suffered setbacks and periods of stagnation along the way.
Since TRON took control, however, its trajectory has been upward, aided by Justin Sun’s marketing muscle and the benefits of being connected to a blockchain environment that spans multiple verticals and networks, from Steemit to Dlive.
The next phase of BitTorrent’s development will see advanced as the solution to distributed storage of dApp data.
Decentralized applications operating on TRON can connect to BTFS via a series of TRON Gateways, enabling data to be accessed quickly and reliably.
Having beaten IPFS rival Filecoin to market, BitTorrent must now prove that it can rally its army of 90 million active users, and leverage this advantage to put an unassailable lead between itself and the chasing pack.
Distributed file storage is not a zero sum game, and there is room for multiple solutions to prosper. For now, the BitTorrent team seems content to reflect on hitting 2 billion downloads of its desktop client, before focusing on the next phase of its roadmap.
“Almost two decades ago the dream of decentralized file transfer was brought into existence by BitTorrent, thus changing the world and positively impacting the lives of people everywhere,” said Justin Sun. “Today we celebrate our history and everyone involved in making the BitTorrent protocol and our products a success. We look forward to fulfilling our mission of improving the protocol and introducing new use cases, such as decentralized file storage and live streaming products.”
TRON’s Ecosystem Gathers Steam
BitTorrent’s integration into TRON’s ecosystem of dApps, blockchains, platforms, and services has strengthened both camps.
BitTorrent has gained access to innovative technology and a new generation of tech-savvy cryptocurrency users. In return, TRON has benefited from BitTorrent’s global brand and 90 million active users.
While TRON can’t claim credit for all 2 billion of BitTorrent’s cumulative installations, few would deny that the file sharing network has advanced in leaps and bounds since Justin Sun took charge.
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