The History of Internet Computer (ICP)

The Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) represents a significant shift in how we think about blockchain technology and decentralized infrastructure. Its creation stems from the ambition to extend the public internet to become the world's computer platform. The history of ICP can be traced back to 2017, when the project was founded by Dominic Williams and the DFINITY Foundation. The primary goal was to develop a blockchain network capable of running digital services and applications with high speed, security, and scalability.

The DFINITY Foundation, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is a non-profit organization that played a crucial role in the development and promotion of ICP. It aimed to build a platform that could address the limitations seen in many traditional blockchains, such as high costs, slow speed, and lack of scalability, affecting mainstream adoption. Over the years, the foundation focused on creating the technology to deliver a decentralized and open framework enabling developers to build software without relying on the traditional IT stack.

The Internet Computer finally launched in May 2021. This public launch was a culmination of years of research and development, involving contributions from numerous developers, researchers, and enthusiasts worldwide. With its genesis block, ICP transitioned from a groundbreaking project to a functioning network designed to host data and compute needs directly on the blockchain.

ICP's history is marked by its unique approach to the blockchain consensus mechanism. The network uses a combination of Threshold Relay and a consensus model that helps it achieve high throughput, effectively supporting sophisticated decentralized applications (dApps). This was an attempt to create a decentralized ecosystem competitive with centralized players like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

Despite its ambitious goals and technical innovations, ICP's journey has been met with scrutiny and challenges. The blockchain industry is competitive, and new technologies frequently face skepticism concerning their scalability claims, governance models, and potential centralization risks. For those interested in similar challenges faced by other blockchain technologies, the story of [The Visionaries Behind The Graph's Success](https://bestdapps.com/the-visionaries-behind-the-graphs-success) illustrates the nuances in competition.

ICP continues to build its ecosystem, inviting developers to explore and create on its platform, while the DFINITY Foundation actively encourages research and improvements. The Internet Computer remains an intriguing subject for those closely watching the evolution of blockchain technology.