NBA Top Shot decentralized storage IPFS is now at the center of one of the platform’s biggest infrastructure changes to date. Every moment on the platform – the video highlight, the thumbnail and the metadata – is now held on decentralized IPFS storage, so collectors can verify what they own without asking permission or logging into an account.
That’s important because digital collectibles have long depended on a simple promise: trust the company that holds the files. However, that promise has been broken before when platforms were shut down and NFTs pointed to empty servers. NBA Top Shot, built by Dapper Labs on the Flow network, now aims to close that gap with an approach that puts the verification power back to the owner.
In practice, the change is not limited to a small test. The entire NBA Top Shot catalog has been migrated and new Moments are anchored in IPFS from the moment they are released.
NBA Top Shot decentralized storage IPFS now covers the entire catalog
The announcement applies to the entire platform. Every edition ever released, in every series in the portfolio, has been moved to the InterPlanetary File System, the open distributed storage protocol designed to keep files available without relying on a single company’s servers.
This is not a partial rollout or a pilot program. The migration is complete and live.
In the future, the media of each new Moment will be anchored to IPFS from the moment it is released. As a result, collectors who open a pack can know from the start that the highlight within it is permanently linked to a decentralized record.
What is stored on IPFS
The saved elements include the video highlight, the thumbnail image, and the playback metadata that make each moment identifiable. Assets are stored at the Set level, so that all Moments within the same Set share the same underlying media on the decentralized network. Whether a collector owns serial number 1 or serial number 1000, the video and artwork are the same files.
Independent authentication without central authority
Here’s the key difference from a standard infrastructure upgrade: Owners can now authenticate their Moments without an account, without contacting Dapper Labs, and without a central authority approving the result. Anyone with an internet connection can verify any Moment on the platform.
According to Dapper Labs, this makes NBA Top Shot the only sports collectible that an owner can independently authenticate from start to finish with nothing more than internet access.
The IPFS Reference App and other verification tools
The key tool for this is the IPFS Reference App, which links a collector’s Moment to their decentralized media record. The app maps every NBA Top Shot game to its IPFS content, so anyone can look up a Moment, retrieve the saves directly from the decentralized network, and confirm they’re real.
No login is required. No permission is required either.
Collectors can also use any public IPFS gateway, including ipfs.io or dweb.link, or their own IPFS node if they want to retrieve and authenticate content outside of Dapper Labs’ infrastructure.
The next step is even more direct. Dapper Labs plans to embed IPFS content hashes, known as CIDs, directly into the on-chain Edition Metadata on Flow. That would create a fully autonomous link between each Moment and its media, readable directly from the blockchain without an intermediary app. That work is ongoing, although no timeline for completion has been given.
How IPFS content-based addressing works
Understanding why this step is important starts with how IPFS works. Most digital files on the Internet are located at a specific URL on a company’s server. If that company shuts down, changes the URL, or stops paying for hosting, the file may disappear.
IPFS uses a different model. Instead of identifying a file based on where it is stored, IPFS identifies a file based on what it contains. Each file is given a unique content hash, or CID, generated from the actual data. The same file always produces the same address, regardless of who hosts it. If someone modifies the file, the hash changes immediately, making tampering obvious.
Why that matters for the authentication of digital collectibles
Due to this substantive approach, the file itself functions as evidence. Each IPFS node can serve the file to anyone who requests it, so the content isn’t dependent on one URL staying live or one company staying alive.
For digital collectibles, that changes the ownership equation in a meaningful way. Concerns about asset loss when platforms close have proven to be real across the board $NFT space, and NBA Top Shot decentralized storage IPFS addresses that problem directly.
It also removes a major single point of bankruptcy. With traditional centralized storage, one server failure, one business closure, or one expired hosting contract can render assets inaccessible or unverifiable. Decentralized storage spreads that risk across a network of independent nodes. As long as at least one node hosts a file, it remains accessible and verifiable.
Why this step is important for the broader public $NFT room
The timing is remarkable. Dapper Labs made the change as other parts of the digital collectibles market pulled back on infrastructure spending. Migrating an entire catalog to decentralized storage is a serious technical task, and it signals a long-term commitment to collectors’ trust as a competitive advantage.
There is also a broader message for the $NFT market. One of the most persistent criticisms of digital collectibles is that ownership claims are only as durable as the company behind them. By basing NBA Top Shot’s media on IPFS, an open protocol not controlled by a single entity, Dapper Labs is making this case through infrastructure rather than marketing speak.
Dapper Labs has also indicated that the same decentralized architecture is being built to extend across all its products. That suggests this isn’t just an NBA Top Shot update, but part of a broader shift in the way the company approaches digital asset sustainability.
For collectors who have dropped out due to concerns about long-term viability, the IPFS Reference App provides an immediate answer. Open it, take a moment to look it up and verify it without trusting anyone in the process. For now, that is the promise that NBA Top Shot is putting into practice.
Frequently asked questions
How can owners independently verify their NBA Top Shot Moments?
Owners can use the IPFS Reference App, any public IPFS gateway such as ipfs.io or dweb.link, or their own IPFS node to authenticate and retrieve Moment media from the decentralized network without needing an account or permission.
What types of media are stored on IPFS?
Every Moment’s video highlights, thumbnails and metadata are stored on IPFS.
Does the entire NBA Top Shot catalog use decentralized storage?
Yes. Every edition ever released across all series in the entire NBA Top Shot portfolio has been migrated to IPFS. New Moments is also anchored to IPFS from the min point onwards.
What Eliminates Decentralized Storage on IPFS?
It eliminates single points of failure common on traditional centralized platforms, where a single server failure or business shutdown can make digital assets inaccessible.
Has embedding of IPFS content hashes directly into blockchain metadata been completed?
No. Embedding IPFS CIDs directly into the on-chain Edition Metadata on Flow is the next step in the process and is currently underway, with no specific timeline confirmed.