Hippius

Hippius is a decentralized cloud storage platform operating as Subnet 75 (SN75) on the Bittensor network. The platform provides transparent and secure alternatives to centralized cloud services like AWS, Google Cloud, and Dropbox, combining blockchain-backed transparency with practical file storage solutions. Hippius runs on its own custom Substrate blockchain that records all network activities, transactions, incentives, and node performance on-chain, giving users full visibility into how their data is stored and managed.

The platform offers two primary storage types: IPFS pinning for decentralized and permanent data storage, and S3-compatible storage for fast-access file hosting using familiar APIs and developer tools. Users interact with the platform through a web console at console.hippius.com and a desktop application. Payments can be made using TAO, Alpha, or fiat via Stripe. All credits and transactions are recorded on-chain for full transparency. Hippius enforces triple redundancy by default, meaning each file is stored across at least three independent miners. The platform also features quantum-safe encryption for data protection against emerging threats.

Beyond storage, Hippius has developed Hermes, a peer-to-peer machine-to-machine protocol for the Bittensor ecosystem. Hermes enables direct QUIC streaming between peers and includes the Arion Sync-Engine for routing large workloads (100GB+) across subnets, with end-to-end NaCl SealedBox encryption. This makes Hermes useful for cross-subnet data exchange, including gradient sharing for distributed AI training and persistent storage of model weights and datasets. Hippius was the first Bittensor subnet to list on a centralized exchange (MEXC, October 2025).

Hippius operates through a network of storage miners, validators, and a custom Substrate blockchain that coordinates all activities. Storage miners provide physical storage capacity by running IPFS nodes or S3-compatible storage volumes. When users upload files, the system distributes them across multiple miners with triple redundancy. Validators connect to miner machines to verify storage integrity, uptime, and performance, maintaining the network's reliability and scoring miners accordingly.

The economic model integrates directly with Bittensor through Dynamic TAO. The native currency on the Hippius chain is Alpha, which users can convert between Alpha and TAO via an automated market maker. Miners earn 60% of storage fees for maintaining data, while validators receive a portion of the 30% allocated to network security. A 10% treasury from marketplace revenue funds ongoing development. Miners and validators face slashing for misbehavior including downtime, poor performance, or fraud. The platform also includes an on-chain referral program where users earn a perpetual cut for bringing others onboard, and buyers receive discounts.

Use cases supported by the platform include AI model and dataset hosting, decentralized backup solutions, content distribution networks, Web3 application storage, NFT metadata storage, and secure file sharing. The subnet's analytics and performance data are publicly available through Hipstats.