Introduction
Project Name:
Sia Cloud – A Unified Web3-native Cloud Control Plane for Decentralized Storage
Name of the organization or individual submitting the proposal:
Anthony Dutra (Independent Developer)
Describe your project.
Sia Cloud is an open-source control plane and developer platform that transforms the Sia network into a cloud-native, Web3-first storage platform. The project introduces a unified API and CLI that allow developers to provision and manage decentralized storage using familiar cloud workflows—without sacrificing self-custody, encryption, or decentralization.
Instead of requiring developers to integrate directly with low-level storage tooling, Sia Cloud provides a modern abstraction layer—similar in experience to AWS, GCP, or Azure—built entirely on top of Sia.
A working prototype already provisions real buckets via renterd through a cloud-style REST API, demonstrating end-to-end feasibility of the control plane.
Minimal Viable Product (MVP)
At the completion of this grant, Sia Cloud will provide:
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A production-ready REST API for managing Sia object storage via renterd
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A developer-friendly CLI tool (siactl), installable via a single command
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Project-scoped API key authentication for secure, multi-tenant access
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Usage and cost telemetry exposed via both API and CLI
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Comprehensive open-source documentation, including OpenAPI specs, examples, and setup guides
This MVP will establish the foundation for future phases, which will integrate [file] via sia-nfs and [block ] via sia-vbd storage to provide a complete decentralized cloud stack. These are part of another completed grant by another community member.
Ultimately, Sia Cloud makes Sia accessible to developers and organizations accustomed to cloud-native workflows—without compromising decentralization or user data ownership.
Who benefits from your project?
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Developers: Gain modern tooling (CLI/API) to integrate Sia into applications, CI/CD, and data pipelines.
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Enterprises & Startups: Can adopt decentralized storage with less friction and no blockchain expertise.
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Sia Ecosystem: Increased network demand and visibility through improved usability.
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Community Builders: New opportunities for integrations, SDKs, and open-source collaboration.
How does the project serve the Foundation’s mission of user-owned data?
Sia Cloud directly advances the mission of user-owned data by giving individuals and developers intuitive control over decentralized storage resources.
It eliminates reliance on centralized intermediaries for provisioning, management, and analytics, ensuring that:
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Users interact directly with decentralized infrastructure.
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Data ownership, encryption, and contracts remain fully under the user’s control.
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Sia’s protocol gains the accessibility of mainstream cloud platforms while maintaining self-custody principles.
By bridging usability and decentralization, Sia Cloud transforms “user-owned data” from an ideal into a practical, daily reality.
Are you a resident of any jurisdiction on that list?
No
Will your payment bank account be located in any jurisdiction on that list?
No
Grant Specifics
Amount of money requested and justification with a comprehensive breakdown of expenses:
Total requested: $25,000 USD
(Paid in monthly installments over a ~3–4 month period)
| Expense Category | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Development time | Core API, CLI, auth, integration with renterd | $14,000 |
| Testing & QA | Integration, performance, and security testing | $3,000 |
| Infrastructure | Cloud hosting, Docker CI, domain, minimal servers | $3,000 |
| Documentation | Developer docs, OpenAPI spec, examples, README | $2,000 |
| Buffer & contingency | Unexpected dependencies, renterd updates | $3,000 |
| Total | $25,000 USD |
Timeline & Milestone
Duration: ~3–4 months
Month 1 – Core Control Plane
Deliverables:
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Project creation
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API key authentication
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Bucket provisioning via renterd
Evaluation:
API routes functional and tested locally and in Docker environments.
Month 2 – Object Operations & CLI Integration
Deliverables:
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Upload, list, and delete objects via API and CLI
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Usage and cost telemetry
Evaluation:
siactl successfully performs real file operations on Sia storage.
Month 3 – Documentation & MVP Release
Deliverables:
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OpenAPI specification
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CLI installation guide
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Demo video & examples
Evaluation:
Public GitHub repo, full documentation, and recorded walkthrough.
Month 4 (Buffer) – Stabilization & Feedback
Deliverables:
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Issue resolution
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Improved test coverage
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renterd sync improvements
Evaluation:
Demo to Grants Committee and community feedback incorporated.
Potential risks that will affect the outcome of the project:
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| API changes in renterd | Maintain version pinning and active coordination with Sia developers. |
| Performance or latency | Add caching and batch upload support; CLI handles retries gracefully. |
| Solo-developer bandwidth | Use modular sprints and open-source collaboration; clear milestones to stay on track. |
| Adoption risk | Emphasize developer usability and documentation to drive early adoption. |
Development Information
Will all of your project’s code be open-source?
Yes. All code (API, CLI, and integration libraries) will be released under the MIT License.
Leave a link where code will be accessible for review:
- GitHub Repository (currently Private - will be Public/made available upon request or grant acceptance): https://github.com/dutraa/sia-cloud
Do you agree to submit monthly progress reports?
Yes. Reports will be submitted to the Sia Foundation forum as required.
Do you agree to designate a point of contact for committee questions and concerns?
Name: Anthony Dutra
Contact: [email protected]
Provide links to previous work or code from all team members.
(Independent developer)
- GitHub: https://github.com/dutraa
- Projects included dApps, decentralized storage integrations, and AI/IoT automation tools.
Have you developed a proof of concept for this idea already?
Yes. A working prototype already:
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Provisions real renterd buckets via a REST API
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Uses Dockerized services and cloud-style authentication
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Demonstrates end-to-end feasibility of the control plane
Further development and polish will be completed during the grant period.
Architecture Overview
Sia Cloud is designed as a modular control plane layered on top of the Sia network. The architecture consists of:
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API Layer (FastAPI): Exposes REST endpoints for project management, bucket provisioning, object operations, and usage telemetry.
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Authentication Layer: Project-scoped API keys used to authorize all requests, enabling multi-tenant usage without shared credentials.
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Provider Abstraction: A pluggable storage interface that routes operations to backend services. The MVP integrates directly with renterd for object storage via authenticated HTTP APIs.
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CLI Client (siactl): A thin wrapper over the REST API for developer workflows and automation.
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Persistence Layer: Lightweight metadata storage (SQLite/PostgreSQL) used as the control-plane source of truth, decoupled from underlying storage contracts.
The provider abstraction enables future expansion to file storage (sia-nfs) and block storage (sia-vbd) without breaking API compatibility.
All data storage operations are executed directly against Sia infrastructure; Sia Cloud never takes custody of user data.
Security & Best Practices
Sia Cloud is designed to preserve Sia’s self-custody and encryption guarantees while introducing modern developer tooling:
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API Key Isolation: All access is scoped to individual projects; no shared secrets across tenants.
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No Data Custody: Sia Cloud does not store user data; it orchestrates operations directly against renterd.
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Credential Hygiene: Secrets are injected via environment variables and excluded from source control.
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Transport Security: All API and renterd communication occurs over HTTPS.
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Least-Privilege Design: Provider interfaces expose only the minimum required operations.
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Open Source Audibility: All code is released under the MIT License, enabling community review and security auditing.
Additional security hardening (rate limiting, audit logging, and token rotation) will be implemented as part of testing and stabilization phases.
Do you agree to participate in a demo at our grants committee meeting at significant milestones or after the grant’s completion, or to work with our grants team to help showcase your project to the community?
Yes.
Contact info
Email: [email protected]
Preferred contact: Email or Sia Forum DM
.