BitTorrent’s File Sharing Client Adds BUSD Support as TRON Ecosystem Expands

The TRON family of crypto networks keeps on expanding. One month after the launch of crypto-powered file sharing protocol BitTorrent File System (BTFS), BUSD has been added as a payment option for BitTorrent and µTorrent. It means that cryptocurrency holders can acquire a year’s Pro subscription to either torrenting client, paid for in Binance’s dollar-pegged stablecoin.

To mark the introduction of BUSD, the first stablecoin to grace the BitTorrent ecosystem, a 25% discount is being offered on annual Pro subscriptions when paid for in crypto. In addition to BUSD, BitTorrent and µTorrent users can pay with TRX, BNB, BTC, BTT, and OKB. Crypto payments are implemented using CoinPayments.net, a leading crypto payment gateway.

“By using BUSD or our other supported cryptocurrencies, millions of customers can unlock powerful features such as malware protection from our popular desktop torrent clients,” said Justin Sun, announcing the news. BitTorrent Pro subscriptions also include no ads, an HD media player, file conversion, and premium customer support.

TRON’s Kingdom Is Growing Stronger

Deeper integration of crypto payments into BitTorrent was inevitable after TRON founder Justin Sun bought the file sharing company and became its CEO. The ties between TRON and BitTorrent extend further than merely accepting crypto for payments, however: the newly launched BTFS is directly connected to the TRON network via TronGrid, a series of gateways that enable dApps to access data stored on the BTFS network of user-controlled nodes.

BTFS has been designed to solve many of the problems that are inherent to centralized file sharing, including database hacks, data loss, and rising infrastructure costs. By distributing content across a peer-to-peer network, BTFS makes user data hard to hack or resell, and creates economic incentives for users to provision spare hardware space. Version 1.3 of BTFS was recently released, adding a number of improvements to the protocol including the crypto wallet that’s built in and the UX of the file sharing client.

Upgrading the World’s Largest File Sharing Network

As the world’s largest P2P file sharing network, BitTorrent has the sort of user base that other crypto projects can only dream of. Its more than 90 million users generate 22% of all upstream and 3% of downstream traffic on the web. It was these qualities that first attracted Justin Sun to BitTorrent, which was founded in 2004, long before Bitcoin was a thing and decentralization a common goal.

A spate of highly publicized hacks has eroded trust in the internet, and left companies as sitting ducks on account of the reams of customer data they warehouse. This has bolstered the case for distributed file storage, along with growing unease at government surveillance and data reselling by tech companies. These factors have created the perfect storm in which distributed storage flourishes. The onus is now on projects like BitTorrent and Filecoin to prove that crypto-powered file sharing networks can provide a user experience every bit as good as the centralized system they’re trying to replace.