Type of site | Video hosting service |
|---|---|
| Available in | 13 languages |
| URL | d |
| Launched | 2017 (2017) |
| Current status | Active |
| Written in | TypeScript, Svelte |
DTube is a video sharing platform originally launched in 2017 as a decentralized alternative to YouTube.1 Initially built on the Steem blockchain and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), the platform aimed to offer censorship-resistant video hosting with cryptocurrency-based creator rewards.23 After years of declining activity and technical challenges, DTube was relaunched in December 2025 as a conventional ad-supported video platform, retaining only a lightweight peer-to-peer feature for video delivery.
Reception
Martin Brinkmann, writing for ghacks, praised DTube as a safe service that is free from censorship and algorithms that artificially alter video rankings, though said it lacked content compared to YouTube.1 Julia Alexander, writing for Polygon, said that due to its laissez faire moderation, DTube was becoming home to controversial and disturbing topics, and that its main competition to YouTube was conspiracy videos and right-wing talking heads.4 A 2020 journal article published in IEEE Xplore found that the quality of streaming on DTube was similar to that of YouTube, concluding that "decentralized video streaming may present a feasible alternative to centralized services in the future".5
References
References
- "DTube is more than a YouTube alternative". Ghacks. 2018-03-02. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- "DTube: Steemit User Builds a Decentralized YouTube". Crypto News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- Mitchell, Pete (2023-01-26). "What is DTube? Should you Switch from YouTube to DTube?". TechCult. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- Alexander, Julia (March 7, 2018). "Controversial YouTubers head to alternative platforms in wake of 'purge'". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- Doan, Trinh Viet; Pham, Tat Dat; Oberprieler, Markus; Bajpai, Vaibhav (17 July 2020). "Measuring Decentralized Video Streaming: A Case Study of DTube". IEEE Xplore. Technical University of Munich. ISBN 978-1-7281-6710-7. Retrieved 27 May 2026.