Hive is a new distributed, peer-to-peer cloud platform that gives back users control of their data. Hive enables users to contribute their computer’s resources to the network, in exchange for similar capacity from the network and/or monetary compensation. This creates a virtual distributed cloud by pooling all available computational and storage resources, allocating them based upon demand and rewarding users providing the resources. The platform will give users - consumers and corporations - total control over their data in a secure, private environment. Hive will make storing and sharing data more accessible and affordable for everyone, and significantly reduce computing storage’s energy usage and carbon footprint by providing computing storage resources closer to the users.