Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Protocols: Architecture, Use Cases, and Their Role in the Modern Internet

Peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols enable decentralized communication by allowing devices to share data and resources directly without relying on a central server. By distributing workloads across participating nodes, P2P systems achieve high scalability, fault tolerance, and cost efficiency. Technologies such as BitTorrent, IPFS, blockchain networks, and WebRTC demonstrate how P2P protocols power modern applications ranging from file distribution to real-time communication and decentralized storage. As businesses and developers seek resilient and scalable architectures, P2P protocols continue to play a critical role in shaping the future of the internet.