An Integrated Blockchain and IPFS Solution for Secure and Efficient Source Code Repository Hosting using Middleman Approach
Abstract
Centralized version control systems (VCS) are vital for software development but pose risks of data loss and ownership disputes. While blockchain offers a decentralized alternative, existing solutions are often hindered by high latency, compromising the real-time collaboration essential for modern workflows. This study introduces a novel hybrid architecture combining the security of the Ethereum blockchain and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) with two key contributions: 1) Shamir's Secret Sharing (SSS) to create a trust-minimized model for key distribution, and 2) an authoritative-first, optimistic-fallback retrieval protocol utilizing a temporary middleware to decouple the user experience from blockchain confirmation delays. We implemented a full prototype and conducted a comprehensive performance evaluation on the public Sepolia testnet. Our results demonstrate that this architecture not only provides a secure, auditable, and resilient platform for source code hosting but also achieves highly competitive user-perceived performance. Our user-perceived push time reduces submission latency by up to 49% compared to a standard git push for common repository sizes, proving that a well-designed decentralized VCS can balance the core tenets of security and decentralization with the practical need for speed and efficiency.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2409.14530,
title = {An Integrated Blockchain and IPFS Solution for Secure and Efficient Source Code Repository Hosting using Middleman Approach},
author = {Md. Rafid Haque and Sakibul Islam Munna and Sabbir Ahmed and Md. Tahmid Islam and Md Mehedi Hassan Onik and A. B. M. Ashikur Rahman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.14530},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
26 pages, 5 figures, submitted manuscript to PlosOne journal;