Ask HN: Is there any P2P compute protocol?

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Is there any P2P compute protocol which tit for tat rewards users for donating CPU power? For example you donate 5% background gpu/cpu so that you can use lots of other users gpu/cpu when you render? How would such a system work? Would it use IPFS or similar global file system?

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There were some attempts in the early 2000s at "SETI@Home but commercial" type systems based on distributing work packets and scavenging unused desktop CPU time. DataSynapse was one (they later became a more standard cloud-computing company, and are now part of TIBCO): http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,102871,00.asp. However, I don't believe any such systems have become successful.

A more recent variant is renting out VMs, a more cloud-computing take on the idea rather than the utility-computing one: https://secure.slicify.com/. But it remains to be seen whether something like this will catch on either.

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