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What is HCS-3?

HCS-3 is a protocol standard that enables developers to reference and load on-graph resources directly from the Hedera network. Think of it as a decentralized CDN where all your application resources live on the Hashgraph, with the unique ability to reuse resources across multiple applications.

Learn more about HCS-3 in the HCS-3 Standard.

Why Use HCS-3?​

1. True Decentralization​

Instead of relying on traditional CDNs or centralized servers, your application's resources are stored directly on the Hashgraph, through the Consensus Service:

<!-- Traditional CDN -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/three@0.132.2/build/three.min.js"></script>

<!-- HCS-3 Decentralized Loading -->
<script data-src="hcs://1/0.0.6614307" data-script-id="threejs"></script>

2. Cost Efficiency​

Inscribe once, use everywhere:

  • Traditional: Each dApp inscribes ThreeJS (~500KB) = 500KB × number of dApps
  • HCS-3: One inscription shared across all dApps = 500KB total

3. Version Control​

Each resource has a unique topic ID, making version management straightforward and immutable.

4. Built-in CDN Support​

While resources live on-graph, HCS-3 supports CDN integration for faster loading while maintaining decentralization benefits.

Shared Resource Pool​

Common libraries already inscribed and available for use:

  • ThreeJS: 0.0.6614307
  • AnimeJS: 0.0.6627067
  • NES.css: 0.0.6633438

Hashgraph Package Manager (HPM)​

We're working on creating Hashgraph Package Manager (HPM) to make it easier to discover, install, and publish HCS-3 resources. Keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Conclusion​

HCS-3 represents a paradigm shift in web3 development by combining true decentralization with cost efficiency. By enabling once-and-done inscriptions that can be reused across the entire ecosystem, it dramatically reduces costs while ensuring resource permanence and integrity. This approach not only makes development more cost-effective but also creates a more sustainable and efficient hashgraph ecosystem.

For detailed implementation examples and usage guidelines, please refer to our Usage Guide.