IPv8: Lone engineer proposes simpler Internet addressing, triggers outcry

119 · Thestack · April 30, 2026, 12:21 p.m.
Summary
James Thain, a network engineer, aimed to create a simpler Internet addressing solution, leading to the development of a new Internet Protocol that sparked significant debate within the tech community. His project, initially meant to build a turn-key Internet server stack, diverged into an alternative to IPv6, provoking reactions about the direction of Internet technologies.