Fileverse is an open-source protocol and suite of decentralized applications (dApps) developed as a privacy-focused, user-owned alternative to centralized cloud collaboration suites like Google Workspace and Notion. The platform leverages peer-to-peer (P2P) networks for storage and blockchains for identity and access control, enabling users to create, share, and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and other files with an emphasis on data sovereignty and censorship resistance. ^{[1] [2]}​

Overview

Fileverse was created to address concerns about data privacy and user rights on centralized web platforms. The project's philosophy is inspired by John Perry Barlow's "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace," which advocates for an internet free from sovereign control. The Fileverse manifesto argues that billions of users have unintentionally compromised their digital rights for the convenience of "free" collaboration tools, which it describes as "walled gardens" engaging in surveillance and data exploitation. ^[1] The project's stated goals are to highlight the "performative neutrality" of these centralized applications and to provide a viable open-source alternative that guarantees user sovereignty by design. ^[1]​

The platform operates on the principle of "privacy by design, not by promise," using client-side encryption to ensure that no central entity, including the Fileverse team, can access user content. ^[3] Users interact with the applications through their existing web3 wallets, which serve as their accounts for authentication and access management, eliminating the need for traditional email and password sign-ups. ^[1]​

History and Development

On October 17, 2023, Fileverse launched its portal, described as a "non-financial dApplication for everyday collaboration and productivity." ^[4] The following month, during the EF Devconnect event in Istanbul, the team demonstrated the platform's on-chain permanence feature by "minting" collective knowledge gathered off-chain onto the Gnosis Chain. ^[4]​

Throughout 2024, Fileverse expanded its product suite. On June 17, 2024, it introduced dsheets.new, a decentralized spreadsheet application. ^[4] This was followed by the launch of ddocs.new on July 9, 2024, positioned as a privacy-enhancing, peer-to-peer alternative to Google Docs. The team presented its platform and its approach to private online collaboration at DappCon Berlin in June 2024. ^[4]​

Based on user feedback, a significant update to dDocs was released on January 24, 2025, which introduced new features and performance improvements, including the ability to export to PDF and find documents via the browser's address bar. ^[4]​

Technical Architecture

Fileverse employs a hybrid architecture that combines P2P networks for data storage with public blockchains for permissions and data integrity, operating without central servers for user data. ^{[3] [1]}​

Core Components

• P2P Storage: Files uploaded to Fileverse are encrypted and stored on P2P networks, primarily the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and Arweave. This decentralized storage model removes single points of failure and enhances censorship resistance. A network of file-seeder peers helps to pin and serve content across the IPFS network. ^{[2] [1]}
• Blockchain Layer: The platform uses Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains, particularly Gnosis Chain, as its trust and permissions layer. Smart contracts on these chains manage access control, enforce rules for collaboration, and verify data integrity through content addressing, where a file's link is derived from its content. Gnosis Chain is specifically utilized for its lower transaction costs. ^{[1] [4]}
• Wallet-Based Identity: Authentication is handled exclusively through web3 wallets like MetaMask. A user's wallet address serves as their universal account, which allows for integration with other web3 identity systems like the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), Lens Protocol, and Farcaster. The system also supports account abstraction (ERC-4337) to simplify the onboarding process for new users via social logins. ^[1]

Encryption and Privacy

Fileverse is built with client-side, end-to-end encryption to ensure user privacy. The process works as follows:

1. A user creates or modifies a file within a Fileverse dApp.
2. The content is encrypted directly in the user's browser using a symmetric key.
3. This symmetric key is then encrypted for each authorized collaborator using their public wallet address.
4. The encrypted file and the encrypted keys are stored on the IPFS network.
5. When a collaborator accesses the file, they use their wallet's private key to decrypt the symmetric key, which in turn decrypts the file content for viewing and editing in their browser.

This architectural design ensures that data remains unreadable to anyone without explicit on-chain permission, including the Fileverse developers. ^[3]​

Open-Source and Decentralized Development

The entire Fileverse stack is open-source, with its code publicly available for auditing and contribution. The main repositories are hosted on GitHub, with TypeScript, JavaScript, and Solidity being the predominant languages. In line with its decentralization ethos, Fileverse also hosts its codebase on Radicle, a decentralized code collaboration network, ensuring that its development infrastructure is not reliant on a single centralized platform. ^{[2] [5]}​

Product Suite

Fileverse offers a growing collection of dApps and developer tools, many of which are in public beta and are accessible through .new domains. ^[1]​

Core Applications

• dDocs: A decentralized and encrypted word processing application, positioned as a direct alternative to Google Docs. It supports real-time and asynchronous collaboration and works on both mobile and desktop browsers without requiring an account. Features include the ability to export documents as formatted PDFs and create page breaks. ^{[2] [4]}
• dSheets: A decentralized spreadsheet application designed as a no-code interface for real-time, on-chain data manipulation. It functions as an alternative to Excel or Google Sheets and is built on the same privacy-preserving middleware as dDocs. ^{[2] [4]}
• dSlides: A decentralized and encrypted application for creating presentations, serving as an alternative to Google Slides. ^[1]
• Fileverse Portal: The central on-chain workspace for P2P file management and collaboration. It allows users to create decentralized websites, knowledge bases, and portfolios. The portal also features tools for creating on-chain communities with token-gated access and trustless co-management using Safe (formerly Gnosis Safe) multisig wallets. ^{[2] [3]}

Developer Tools and SDKs

• HeartBit SDK: A React SDK (@fileverse/heartbit-react) that enables developers to create provable, time-based on-chain "Likes." These are generated through user engagement with a dApp or on-chain media and are designed to integrate with Farcaster Frames and Lens Protocol OpenActions. ^[2]
• Agents SDK: An SDK that allows any AI agent to read and write data on-chain. It provides agents with a dedicated Safe smart account, a smart contract on Gnosis, and storage space on IPFS, using a human-readable Markdown format for input. ^[2]

Reception and Notable Endorsements

Fileverse has garnered significant attention and multiple mentions from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, which has helped raise its visibility within the web3 community.

• On December 2, 2022, Buterin described Fileverse as a "cool decentralized alternative to Google Docs" and noted its "on-chain access control, IPFS storage, client side encryption. Lots of cool web3-native goodies." ^[3]
• On June 7, 2024, he posted on X, stating, "For those looking for a decentralized alternative to google docs, fileverse (ddocs) is quite good." ^[1]
• On May 16, 2025, Buterin highlighted another use case, praising its simplicity for creating "encrypted group chats" accessible via an allow-list of ENS names. ^[5]
• On December 10, 2025, he provided a further endorsement regarding the platform's maturity and stability: "I've been impressed by (decentralized open-source encrypted docs https://docs.fileverse.io ). Every month more bugs get fixed, and recently it's finally at the point where I can comfortably send docs off for comment or collaboration, and things reliably don't break." ^[6]

The platform has also demonstrated practical utility through adoption by prominent web3 events. Specialized "Community Portals" have been deployed for Dappcon, ETHSanFrancisco, and Devcon to facilitate secure, token-gated collaboration among attendees and organizers. ^[3]​