# Why Data Layer

Data protocols have existed for decades. Regardless data is public or private, data brokers gather them one way or another, pay for them or not, then sell them for profits. A lot of compromises go into the process. Whether the data is forged or real, is privacy being intruded, what happens if the data broker stops their business, etc.

A decentralized data layer is needed. It has to prevent single point of failures, be censorship resistant, and trustlessly provide authentic data. This would serve web3 applications who are looking to access more information from outside of the blockchain, AI model builders who are looking to train and infer their model with real inputs, Companies building growth campaigns looking to segment and target their users based on their existing identities and reputation.

OpenLayer provides an open network and end-user friendly UX, that allows any user to become an node operator, it can transcribe anything available on the internet in a cryptographically provable way, and allows anyone to add any data feed into the system permissionlessly and fast.
