Bittorrent Economy

Economy is a term that is complex by nature. It's funny to think computer algorithms can have an economy for themselves. But computer algorithms have the power to codify and give a formal process to anything complex. I feel it's this ability that equips computers to influence every part of our lives :)

For newbies, BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer protocol for sharing data. A protocol so open, needs a strong economy for its proper functioning. BitTorrent is not fully decentralised, Just like the real-world economy. Money moves from person to person, with a central authority just keeping a slight track of its movement!

This article is based on the BitTorrent economics paper that's considered the standard for Bittorrent clients to implement for more optimal performance. This paper can be found here. It's a small paper. This article discusses some important topics from this paper.