Decentralized computing has a long theoretical and practical history in the design of robust systems.
The internet itself was designed around principles of decentralization, allowing an unknown network of machines to be organically connected, addressed, and updated over time without a central administration.
[1] The rise of cloud computing and large platforms that served the needs of Web 2.0 led to a recentralization of the internet around those services.
It focuses on decentralizing the underlying infrastructure of the internet, shifting away from centralized data storage and management using new protocols and technologies.
Starting in 2016, the Internet Archive and Protocol Labs began hosting a regular DWeb Summit dedicated to new technical and social communities building the decentralized web.