WebPn

WebPn is a proposed open standard for secure, privacy-preserving web networking and content delivery. The project aims to extend the Web stack with a modular protocol suite that supports content addressing, peer-to-peer routing, and end-to-end encryption while remaining interoperable with existing web technologies.

WebPn defines three core layers. The naming layer resolves identifiers for content and services in a decentralized manner. The routing layer discovers and maintains paths between participating nodes. The transport layer provides reliable and authenticated communication over traditional networks. Together, these layers are designed to coexist with HTTP/HTTPS and progressive enhancement so that existing sites can gradually adopt WebPn features.

Development and governance: The concept originated in the early 2020s through collaborations among researchers, open-source developers, and industry participants. Standardization is described as a community-driven effort rather than centralized authority, with proposals discussed in public forums and through interim drafts.

Adoption and impact: At present, there are no universally adopted deployments in production, and most activity is experimental. Use cases cited by proponents include resilient content distribution in environments with intermittent connectivity, privacy-oriented browsing, and mesh-network integrations.

Relationship to related technologies: WebPn is often discussed alongside decentralized naming, content-addressable storage networks, and secure transport protocols. It aims to complement, not replace, existing web protocols by enabling optional, opt-in features for developers and users.