Uranus, Next “Uber” in the Realm of Computer-Sharing Resources

Currently, most of the giant cloud services providers, such as Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services (AWS), are testing and rolling out various sorts of blockchain applications. Last month, Google unveiled a free analytics tool that allow anyone to explore the Ethereum (ETH) network. Uranus, a singapore-based blockchain startup, believes that distributed networks that harness the computing power of individual computers, laptops and devices can create a special niche in the marketplace. It also gives contributing users the chance to earn some money by using their hardware for a range of business and scientific applications: They can run the gamut of voting, web search, internet of things (IoT) node management, games, weather analysis, and advertising, to name a few. Think of it as Uber but in the realm of computer-sharing resources. In Uber, idle cars are made productive by letting independent drivers serve passengers through a shared-car platform, enabling freelancers to earn some cash through a newfound driving service. Along those lines, Uranus.io is building a blockchain-powered, distributed computing architecture that will enable hundreds of thousands of users to tap their computing hardware and help solve clients' problems. Devices that would otherwise be idle can run applications and, like Uber's vehicles, generate revenue in the process. The Uranus team has been spreading their message. Their recent tour included stops in Moscow, Vietnam and Singapore. James Jiang, founder of Uranus, said that such a shared infrastructure will tap into the enormous and redundant computing power of the world and provide shared-computing services that run on public blockchain. These go beyond centralized public clouds (i.e. Amazon, Microsoft). While the latter has its benefits, it can be riskier and more expensive. Centralized systems can offer single failure points. How much cheaper can distributed computing providers offer their services? In Uranus' case, it remains to be seen and it'll probably depend on the application. For example, the economics of IoT node management may totally differ from gaming or advertising solutions. Clients in a certain industry may pay more (or less) for its decentralized shared-computing needs. A different blockchain-run venture estimates it'll be 30% cheaper than big cloud providers by leveraging users' computing hardware. Kevin Wang, head of marketing, explained the Uranus ecosystem in a September 2018 meetup in Vietnam. He said that contributors and developers can earn rewards in the form of Uranus tokens. These digital coins establish a value-exchange system by which clients, developers and contributor-users can collaborate and transact. Uber revolutionized their respective industries by tapping unused resources that the economy needs. There's a ton of (idle) computers and gadgets waiting to solve real-world problems.