IPFS and Decentralized Storage

Blockchains are expensive for large files — NFT metadata, images, and game assets live off chain on IPFS or similar decentralized storage networks. Contracts store a pointer; the heavy content lives elsewhere.

IPFS nodes garbage-collect unpinned content. Budget for pinning costs on production NFT projects — dead gateway links break metadata permanently and leave marketplaces showing blank images.

Arweave offers permanent storage with an upfront payment model. Centralized S3 with an on-chain hash reference is common for gaming assets — a trade-off of decentralization for reliability, acceptable when disclosed honestly to users.