While you are right that the NFT is just an entry to the blockchain with a URI to the actual media file, the file is NOT stored on a centralized platform.
While it is possible to use a regular server to store the media file, it is certainly very bad practice and defeats the whole point of NFTs.
The media files are stored on IPFS, which is a decentralized peer-to-peer storage network. This ensures that the media file that a NFT represents, will always be available, since it is hosted by many people on the network.
> This ensures that the media file that a NFT represents, will always be available, since it is hosted by many people on the network.
I’m pretty sure this is incorrect. IPFS is not permanent storage unless you host the content yourself or pay a pining service to host it. It may be cached on many computers but those caches are finite and get cleared.
While you are right that the NFT is just an entry to the blockchain with a URI to the actual media file, the file is NOT stored on a centralized platform.
While it is possible to use a regular server to store the media file, it is certainly very bad practice and defeats the whole point of NFTs.
The media files are stored on IPFS, which is a decentralized peer-to-peer storage network. This ensures that the media file that a NFT represents, will always be available, since it is hosted by many people on the network.