BitTorrent today revealed more details about its Project Atlas which should combine the peer-to-peer BitTorrent network with the Tron blockchain. Project Atlas should make it possible to pay seeders with Tron for extras like an in increase download speed or keeping the file available for a longer time.
The project will be an optional extension to the BitTorrent protocol that will be backwards compatible with the current protocol. That means that BitTorrent clients without Tron support will work as usual, while clients with Tron support offer additional features.
Users can sent Tron-tokens to each other, which work similar to cryptocurrencies. However, Tron uses tokens which are different from the simple coins used by cryptocurrencies. Tokens are more versatile and can also be used for smart contracts or as proof of equity. For now the Tron tokens are only used for payments, but this could change in the future.
With the Project Atlas feature, downloaders can pay seeders. By paying a seeder, a downloader can e.g. get an increase in download speed. Seeders will also receive a compensation in Tron-tokens for keeping a file online. In the future more possibilities should become available.
It's not surprising that Tron is used with BitTorrent. Earlier this year Tron acquired BitTorrent Inc, the developer of the BitTorrent protocol and the uTorrent client. Tron reportedly paid 140 million for BitTorrent Inc and it was expected there would come some kind of integration of the Tron blockchain with the BitTorrent protocol.
