Great question — I’ve thought about this too. Technically, large-scale P2P streaming is possible, especially with today’s upload speeds and a tree-like distribution (log(N) structure). But there are big hurdles:
Churn & reliability: Peers come and go, making stable streaming tricky.
Latency: BitTorrent-style protocols aren’t built for real-time delivery.
Incentives: Without rewards, too many users just leech.
WebRTC: It hits limits fast and often relies on centralized relays.
Legal risks: Media companies don’t play nice with decentralized distribution.
Bram Cohen tried with BitTorrent Live, but it fizzled out. Would love to see someone revive this with modern tech — still feels like untapped potential.
Churn & reliability: Peers come and go, making stable streaming tricky. Latency: BitTorrent-style protocols aren’t built for real-time delivery. Incentives: Without rewards, too many users just leech. WebRTC: It hits limits fast and often relies on centralized relays. Legal risks: Media companies don’t play nice with decentralized distribution.
Bram Cohen tried with BitTorrent Live, but it fizzled out. Would love to see someone revive this with modern tech — still feels like untapped potential.