Bringing Decentralization to Your Doorstep: 5 Years in Browsers

Can we make the web more decentralized and more private without asking users to switch browsers? For the past five years, the IPFS ecosystem has pioneered multiple approaches to this challenge. This talk shares hard-won lessons about what works—and what doesn't.

We'll cover three parallel strategies: (1) pushing for native protocol support in major browsers, (2) driving adoption of critical cryptographic building blocks (such as Ed25519 into WebCrypto API, a three-year standards journey led by Igalia that just succeeded in Chrome 137), and (3) using existing browser capabilities in novel ways.

The work emerged from IPFS's needs, but the benefits extend far beyond one protocol. Ed25519 in browsers now helps decentralized identity systems, local-first apps, and any protocol needing trustless verification — all without developers bundling their own cryptography libraries.

The talk will be practical and honest: What takes three years versus three months? How do you fund unglamorous infrastructure work? When should you work around browser limitations versus push for standards changes? Attendees will leave with actionable insights for pushing privacy and decentralization into mainstream web infrastructure, plus a preview of what's coming next.

Links: - ipfs.io - https://blogs.igalia.com/jfernandez/2025/08/25/ed25519-support-lands-in-chrome-what-it-means-for-developers-and-the-web/