Upfiring v1.0.0. running on MacOS. Versions for Windows and Linux will also be available upon launch.
As testing and auditing of the application continues, we’d like to provide an overview of the application in its current state and go over some key features. One of our main goals with the application is ease-of-use — anyone should be able to use Upfiring, even users with little to no experience with dApps or blockchain. Upfiring v1.0.0 will be released for Windows, MacOS, and Linux builds upon launch, so anyone with a computer or laptop will be able to start using the application immediately.
Uploading Your Files
Uploading process for files in Upfiring v1.0.0
In the “Uploads” tab, users can upload their own file(s) and convert them into Upfiring files. Denominated with the file extension “.ufr”, Upfiring files provide several key features that make them advantageous to use over standard torrent files. First, Upfiring files are encrypted. This is an essential part of the Upfiring protocol that provides unparalleled privacy to users and prevents outsiders from extracting data from transactions on the network. In the example above, the application takes in a screenshot (myscreen.png) and outputs the file Screenshot.ufr with a price of 20 UFR. Screenshot.ufr can then be distributed. The contents of Screenshot.ufr cannot be accessed unless that file is downloaded by another user and then decrypted in the application for 20 UFR. Users also have the ability to download the file without decrypting it, instead choosing to become a seeder on the file. This will allow them to earn a portion of the 20 UFR price each time that file is downloaded and decrypted by others.
Downloading Upfiring Files From Others
Part of the downloading process in Upfiring v1.0.0
In the “Downloads” tab, users can download Upfiring files that they find on the web, forums, communities, or elsewhere. After downloading a file, a user can become a seeder for that file and earn UFR each time that file is downloaded. They can also decrypt the file by paying the UFR price, enabling them access to the content inside. The example above (images 1 and 2) show a case where a user tries to download their own UFR file (Screenshot.ufr). In this case, the application will recognize that this file belongs to the user that is uploading it and give an error. After loading Testfile.ufr into the application, which was generated by another user (image 3), the application begins the downloading process.
Interacting with your wallet and the Upfiring Smart Contracts
The “Wallets and Earnings” tab features an in-app UFR/ETH wallet that is able to interact with the Upfiring smart contract.
As of now, the Upfiring in-app wallet has passed initial testing and is safe to use. You can use the application to safely generate a new password-protected Upfiring wallet that can store both UFR and ETH. Generating an Upfiring wallet creates a .json file, so you can load your Upfiring wallet in many other major wallet services like MyEtherWallet. If you already have ETH or UFR stored in a wallet, you’ll also be able to load that wallet directly into the application using your wallet’s .json file or private key and immediately begin using the application.
UFR can easily be transferred into and out of the Upfiring smart contract using your wallet by using the “Withdraw” and “Replenish Funds” buttons. Your wallet is treated like an “account”, and has access to an amount of UFR in the Upfiring smart contract equal to your total amount earned by seeding + the amount you have transferred into the contract manually. You can use your UFR in the smart contract to download Upfiring files or withdraw it to your wallet at any time.
Upfiring has the potential to become one of the first truly useful dApps that solves an ever-prevalent issue — the seeder problem — and changes the way people think about sharing and seeding files. When we know of a set-in-stone date for the official release of the application, we will announce it on all our social platforms.
If you have any further questions about the project, feel free to post on our community pages or send us an email at [email protected]. Come join us over on Reddit, Bitcointalk and Twitter as we continue our mission to change the future of P2P file-sharing. Don’t forget to join the conversation in our new Reddit chat.