Storage Providers

The Flashback platform aims to revolutionize the data storage ecosystem by proposing a network of storage providers incentivized by the quality-of-services and the results performed in the Flashback platform.

How are Centralized and DePIN Providers paid?

Centralized providers, such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, primarily operate on fiat-based payment systems (credits system). To integrate these providers into the Flashback ecosystem, tokenization will serve as an intermediary mechanism, ensuring that consumers can interact seamlessly with centralized storage services. Consumers on the Flashback platform will pay for services using either fiat, cryptocurrencies, or FLASH tokens. The platform will manage the following:

• Pay with Fiat: If consumers choose fiat payment, Flashback will directly process payments to the centralized provider on their behalf, maintaining full transparency.

• Pay with FLASH: If consumers choose to pay in an elligible cryptocurrency or FLASH tokens, the platform will handle the conversion of tokens into fiat currency and settle payments with the centralized providers. This will involve internal payment processors, payment gateways or exchanges to facilitate real-time token-to-fiat conversion.

DePin providers like Filecoin, Arweave, and StorJ operate natively on blockchain networks and accept payments in their respective cryptocurrencies. Flashback’s tokenization strategy for decentralized providers ensures seamless integration while maintaining the native token economies of these ecosystems. Consumers on the platform can pay in their preferred currency (fiat or FLASH tokens), and Flashback will manage the payment transmission to decentralized providers as follows:

• Pay with Native Tokens: If consumers pay in fiat, Flashback will convert the payment into the native token of the selected provider (e.g., FIL for Filecoin or AR for Arweave) and process the payment.

• Pay with FLASH: If consumers pay in FLASH tokens, the platform will convert FLASH into the native token before transmitting it to the provider. This ensures compatibility with the DePin provider’s token economy.

This harmonized payment system allows consumers to interact with decentralized providers without needing to manage multiple cryptocurrencies, enhancing accessibility and usability.

The Flashback platform directly manages the services and the payment agreements with them. If a company

Hardware Providers

Individuals and companies with hardware resources can contribute directly to the Flashback platform by offering storage services. They can choose to subscribe to different service tiers, allowing them to scale their participation based on their capacity and technical requirements. This approach opens opportunities for small-scale providers, such as individuals or small businesses, to join the ecosystem and monetize their hardware efficiently.

Alternatively, providers can participate by staking FLASH tokens, which acts as both a commitment to the platform and a mechanism to earn rewards. Staking ensures that only providers dedicated to maintaining high-quality standards can offer their services, fostering trust and reliability within the ecosystem. This dual model of subscription tiers and staking creates a flexible and accessible framework for hardware owners to join the decentralized storage revolution.

Here are the different fees and payments (in fiat or cryptocurrency) from the Hardware/Cloud Server layer:

• SLA Payments of Providers: Storage providers will receive payments from consumers for reserving and utilizing storage services under Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The payment terms will vary based on factors such as storage capacity, contract duration, redundancy, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters. This ensures that providers are compensated fairly for their services while incentivizing high-quality performance in the marketplace.

• Platform Marketplace Fees: The Flashback platform will charge a marketplace fee to facilitate seamless interactions between consumers and storage providers. These fees cover operational costs such as maintaining the decentralized infrastructure, enhancing the marketplace, and ensuring compliance.

• Platform Options: Storage providers can access a suite of advanced tools and features offered by the Flashback platform. These include AI-driven solutions for optimizing pricing strategies, improving QoS, supporting for compliance, and enhancing visibility in the marketplace.

• Tiered-based plans: Providers can subscribe to different tiered plans that grant them varying levels of access and advantages within the platform. Lower tiers provide basic access to marketplace listings and SLA commitments, while higher tiers unlock premium features such as priority marketplace positioning, advanced analytics, and AI-driven recommendations for maximizing storage utilization and profitability.