SHIFT combines the transparency, immutability, and decentralization of blockchain technology with distributed hosting.
The current Shift platform incorporates two software applications that communicate with each other. There is Phoenix and the Shift blockchain.
Phoenix is a stand-alone application facilitating the allocation and conservation through replication of data across a cluster of storage nodes, called the Phoenix Cluster. Phoenix consists of three components: Phoenix-core, Phoenix-cluster and a customized IPFS daemon.
The Shift blockchain facilitates a decentralized and immutable means of governance that is consulted by the Phoenix Cluster.
The Shift blockchain runs using a Lisk-based DPoS consensus engine, where 101 delegated nodes oversee the sequential forging of blocks. The selection process involves token holders selecting appropriate delegates. Each user account can vote for 101 delegates, a vote representing their ongoing account balance. This balance or ‘vote weight’ is used to rank and select the 101 forging delegates every 101 assigned blocks.