- Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino launches Pear Runtime, an open-source platform for peer-to-peer app development.
- Ardoino believes P2P technology can challenge the dominance of cloud computing giants.
- Tether has invested heavily in the platform to attract developers.
Reviving P2P technology
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of crypto firm Tether, has launched an open-source software platform called Pear Runtime, which enables developers to build peer-to-peer (P2P) apps.
Ardoino believes that this technology, which disrupted the music industry in the 1990s, can break the “monopoly” of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google in cloud computing servers.
He argues that the current client-server model has been dismissive of the internet’s original peer-to-peer design and aims to prove that P2P technology can be a viable alternative.
Addressing legal concerns
Despite the legal issues faced by P2P networks in the past, such as copyright infringement and piracy, Ardoino remains unapologetic about the history of technology.
He argues that any illegal activity on a Pear Runtime-produced app would not present a liability issue for Holepunch or Tether, comparing it to a kitchen knife manufacturer not being liable for a stabbing incident.
Ardoino emphasizes that the platform’s responsibility is to ensure that the open-source code works and is freely available for users and that lawsuits are a “necessary evil to being innovative.”
Attracting developers
Tether has invested five years and US$10 million in developing Holepunch and its first major app, Keet Mobile, a P2P texting communication app.
Ardoino plans to attract developers to Pear Runtime by highlighting the scalability and cost-effectiveness of P2P networking compared to client-server networks. He also criticizes the lack of transparency in closed-source code used by larger tech companies and emphasizes the benefits of open-source software for developers.
While the revenue streams for Tether through this venture are not entirely clear, Ardoino points to the integration of Web3 technology, such as crypto wallets, which could facilitate payments using Tether’s USDT stablecoin.
Holepunch is also considering adding consulting fees in the future, but there are no plans to charge developers a percentage of their revenue. For now, the company is focused on monitoring how developers respond to the platform and gathering feedback from users.
To read the original article in its entirety: https://www.techinasia.com/tether-ceo-break-microsoft-aws-googles-hold-cloud-computing
