A decentralized file hosting protocol in which clients pay per request. Client and server perform a fair exchange of coins against files, using a Lightning payment combined with a proof of encryption. This document describes a naive system which is probably too slow, however it intends to spark a discussion about which proof systems could make it practical, because that could allow to decentralize the web.
A “Sats4Files protocol” allows users to request data from servers, and upon receiving the encrypted data, they can pay for the decryption key, e.g., via Lightning. The exchange is atomic, ensuring that the user only receives the data if they pay for it, and the seller only gets paid if they deliver the data.
Servers respond to client requests with a zero-knowledge proof, which expresses