Holo is a peer-to-peer distributed platform for hosting decentralized applications built using Holochain, a framework for developing DApps that does not require the use of blockchain technology. Holo fulfills on the promise of blockchain by leveraging the scalable architecture of Holochain to accomplish two primary feats: Enable fully-functional decentralized applications (far more sophisticated than smart contracts) to serve mainstream Internet users, and provide the massively scalable crypto-accounting infrastructure required to host and manage applications at such enormous volumes of usage.
The goal of Holo is to serve as a bridge between the broader internet and apps built using Holochain, offering an ecosystem and marketplace in which DApps are easily accessible, as they are hosted on the internet by Holo network participants.
The Holo network will be facilitated using a token called HoloFuel, which acts as an accounting system to pay hosts for their services. In 2018, the project minted an ERC-20 token, $HOT — also known as HoloToken — as an "IOU" that will be redeemable for HoloFuel upon launch.
Holo is designed to act as a bridge between Holochain, which represents the world of crypto technology, and everyday users. The project highlights several innovations that it says will "enable a large shift in the landscape of crypto applications and currencies," including the ability to host P2P apps on the internet for mainstream users.
The Holo network relies on a series of hosts that provide storage and processing power for DApps built using Holochain. Hosts either install software on their computer that runs in the background and automatically allocates extra processing power to Holochain-based DApps, or they operate a dedicated machine such as a HoloPort. In exchange, hosts are paid in HoloFuel, a token that is specifically designed for microtransactions. The design of HoloFuel is expected to allow the Holo network to process billions of simultaneous transactions.
The project's business plan centers on building a P2P ecosystem of hosts and applications, comparing its intended effect on app hosting to that of Uber and Airbnb in the taxi and hotel industries, respectively. Holo charges a fee on HoloFuel transactions, so its revenue model is directly tied to growing the number of applications and hosts on the network.