Sunflower: Pioneer of the Distributed Bandwidth Ecosystem, PoB Technology Secures $5.5 Million in Funding

In the past few months, my team and I have been deeply involved in refining the Proof of Bandwidth (PoB) concept. Our goal is to transform unused internet bandwidth into something truly valuable, allowing more people to genuinely participate in the Web3 revolution. During this process, I have had the privilege of speaking with like-minded dreamers, from grassroots developers to well-known institutions, all of whom share our passion for a more efficient and decentralized network infrastructure.

My Motivation: Turning Idle Bandwidth into a Value Engine

As an engineer with a background in blockchain and internet technology, I have witnessed that a significant portion of global bandwidth remains underutilized, while centralized service providers are often costly, opaque, and sometimes inefficient. I have been pondering: Is there a way for everyone to benefit from the bandwidth they have already paid for?

This is why I created Sunflower—to ensure that every unit of bandwidth is rewarded, recognized, and utilized. Our customized consensus mechanism, PoB, measures node contributions based on factors such as bandwidth stability, uptime, and speed, thereby linking real-world productivity to on-chain rewards.

From Brainstorming to Community Impact

My initial idea for PoB began with a simple prototype: running small-scale tests, collecting data, and optimizing performance. Over time, we expanded to a test network with diverse participants. A key realization was that **nodes vary significantly: some nodes only share leftover bandwidth, while others deploy more robust setups to ensure additional rewards. This dichotomy prompted us to refine the designs of *regular nodes* and super nodes, creating a multi-tiered structure.

• Regular Nodes: Low entry barriers, allowing almost anyone to profit by sharing idle bandwidth.
• Super Nodes: For those staking a significant amount of SFT, they also take on additional responsibilities such as enhancing network stability and governance.

The momentum we observed from testnet participation is encouraging. People from different regions joined in, bandwidth usage soared, and the concept of "mining with bandwidth" was validated in the real world.

Technical Pillars: PoB, Zero-Knowledge Proofs, and Data Sharding

Proof of Bandwidth (PoB)
Our approach differs from energy-intensive PoW and capital-intensive PoS. Instead, PoB rewards actual bandwidth and uptime. Nodes earn SFT based on metrics such as throughput, reliability, and contribution frequency.

Advanced Privacy and Security

• Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Nodes can prove their bandwidth without disclosing sensitive usage data.
• Data Sharding and Encryption: Transmission is divided into multiple routes and end-to-end encrypted, protecting user privacy while ensuring the network remains verifiable.

Governance through DAO
We envision robust governance where stakeholders can vote on protocol adjustments, fee structures, and future expansions. Super nodes have additional voting weight, ensuring that those who invest heavily help guide key decisions.

Revealing Key Partnerships and Milestones

Throughout the development process, I had the opportunity to engage in productive dialogues with key figures in the decentralized technology space. This exchange of ideas gradually evolved into deeper collaborations. Behind the scenes, some well-known individuals in the field expressed interest in Sunflower's vision.

• Protocol Labs: Known for advocating decentralized data storage and IPFS. Our discussions revolved around how to connect the IPFS ecosystem with PoB-driven bandwidth sharing, which sparked further synergies on how we could collectively tackle broader internet infrastructure challenges.
• Matrixport Ventures: Renowned for its expertise in blockchain finance and infrastructure. They provided profound insights into scaling strategies, node incentive design, and how to attract mainstream users.
• Individual Investors: In addition to well-known institutions, some individuals with both technical acumen and keen insights into emerging trends also provided valuable support and resources.

In these discussions, our testnet data (growing node participation, balanced load distribution, real-time bandwidth metrics) demonstrated the feasibility of large-scale PoB. I had many thought-provoking calls with their teams and conducted thorough technical due diligence. Gradually, a shared belief emerged: the combination of decentralized bandwidth sharing with strong encryption protection holds immense promise.

A Significant Step Forward

In recent weeks, we reached a critical milestone. Through multiple meetings, presentations, and the trust built from rigorous evaluations, Sunflower secured the support needed to accelerate our roadmap:

• Protocol Labs was the first to provide us with substantial funding.
• Matrixport Ventures and other venture capital firms invested additional funds to help us refine the PoB model and expand globally.
• Individual investor Michael provided unexpected yet delightful funding, highlighting the widespread enthusiasm for bandwidth-based mining.

In total, these contributions amount to $5.5 million. While this is a tremendous encouragement, I believe it further validates PoB's potential for the entire Web3 ecosystem.

The Path Ahead: Scaling, Security, and Commercial Integration

With these new resources, I plan to:

Enhance PoB Metrics

• Further improve how we measure bandwidth reliability, cross-check node performance using zero-knowledge proofs, and automate dispute resolution.

Expand Node Coverage

• Make it easier for ordinary individuals to become regular nodes while providing stronger support for organizations aiming to run super nodes.
• Strengthen multilingual support to attract global participants from small towns to major tech hubs.

Pursue Practical Integration

• Collaborate with streaming platforms, CDN services, and VPN providers to incorporate decentralized bandwidth into their pipelines, achieving cost savings and resilience.
• Encourage third-party developers to build innovative DApps that leverage bandwidth-based mining as a core utility layer.

DAO-Driven Governance

• Launch a more advanced governance framework so that the community can help shape everything from bandwidth fee parameters to major roadmap pivots.

My Vision for Sunflower: A Brighter Decentralized Future

Idle bandwidth should not be overlooked. It is an untapped resource that can power the next generation of internet infrastructure. This is precisely the goal I aimed to achieve when I initially conceived PoB, and as we gain momentum (both technically and through this critical support), I am more convinced than ever that we are on the right path.

I am grateful for every contribution and piece of feedback we have received, whether from new enthusiasts or seasoned industry professionals. Together, we are proving that decentralized networks can truly work—efficiently and fairly. With the additional momentum from our latest milestone, I am committed to taking Sunflower to new heights—one packet at a time.