libipld
Python binding to the Rust IPLD library
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you work with IPLD formats (especially in AT Protocol contexts) and need performance beyond pure Python. The permissive MIT license, active maintenance, zero runtime dependencies, and broad platform support make it low-risk. Medium install friction is typical for compiled packages and not a blocker. No known vulnerabilities.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels for multiple Python versions and architectures.
- Active maintenance with recent releases; last commit 2026-07-18 and production-stable status indicate ongoing support.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute libipld with minimal restrictions in both open and closed projects.
last release 2026-05-27 (79 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-18 · 32 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 588,602 downloads/mo, #5,867 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install libipld
import libipld
# Decode a CID
result = libipld.decode_cid('bafyreig7jbijxpn4lfhvnvyuwf5u5jyhd7begxwyiqe7ingwxycjdqjjoa')
print(result) # {'hash': {...}, 'version': 1, 'codec': 113}
# Encode and decode DAG-CBOR
encoded = libipld.encode_dag_cbor({'a': 12, 'b': 'hello!'})
decoded = libipld.decode_dag_cbor(encoded)
print(decoded) # {'a': 12, 'b': 'hello!'}- Whether performance gains over pure-Python alternatives justify the compiled dependency in your specific use case
- Compatibility with PyPy beyond the classifier claim—wheel availability is limited to CPython versions
What it is and what it does
libipld is a Python binding to a Rust implementation of the IPLD (InterPlanetary Linked Data) specification, designed to accelerate serialization and deserialization of distributed data formats. It exposes functions to encode and decode CIDs (content identifiers), DAG-CBOR binary objects, multibase-encoded strings, and CAR (Content Addressable Archive) files—all core primitives for decentralized systems and the AT Protocol.
The package trades install complexity (compiled wheels across multiple platforms and Python versions) for performance: benchmarks show it substantially faster than pure-Python alternatives like dag_cbor and py-ipld-dag on typical workloads. It has no runtime dependencies and requires Python 3.8 or higher, making it straightforward to integrate into projects that need fast IPLD operations.
Use it for
- Accelerate AT Protocol SDK operations by replacing slow Python IPLD serialization with Rust-backed encoding and decoding
- Decode and inspect CIDs in distributed systems to extract hash, version, and codec metadata
- Serialize and deserialize DAG-CBOR data structures efficiently in applications handling large volumes of linked data
- Encode and decode multibase-encoded strings for interoperability with systems using different base encodings
- Parse CAR archive files to extract header metadata and block data in content-addressed storage systems
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you work with IPLD formats (especially in AT Protocol contexts) and need performance beyond pure Python.
The permissive MIT license, active maintenance, zero runtime dependencies, and broad platform support make it low-risk. Medium install friction is typical for compiled packages and not a blocker. No known vulnerabilities.
Install
libipld on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels for multiple Python versions and architectures. Active maintenance with recent releases; last commit 2026-07-18 and production-stable status indicate ongoing support.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute libipld with minimal restrictions in both open and closed projects.
Quickstart
pip install libipld
import libipld
# Decode a CID
result = libipld.decode_cid('bafyreig7jbijxpn4lfhvnvyuwf5u5jyhd7begxwyiqe7ingwxycjdqjjoa')
print(result) # {'hash': {...}, 'version': 1, 'codec': 113}
# Encode and decode DAG-CBOR
encoded = libipld.encode_dag_cbor({'a': 12, 'b': 'hello!'})
decoded = libipld.decode_dag_cbor(encoded)
print(decoded) # {'a': 12, 'b': 'hello!'}Verify before relying
- Whether performance gains over pure-Python alternatives justify the compiled dependency in your specific use case
- Compatibility with PyPy beyond the classifier claim—wheel availability is limited to CPython versions
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 79 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 588,602 / month, #5,867 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyProgramming Language :: RustTopic :: Software DevelopmentTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Software Development :: Pre-processors |
Evidence: libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_12_x86_64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_armv7l.manylinux2014_armv7l.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_ppc64le.manylinux2014_ppc64le.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_s390x.manylinux2014_s390x.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_aarch64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_x86_64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_12_x86_64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_armv7l.manylinux2014_armv7l.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_ppc64le.manylinux2014_ppc64le.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_s390x.manylinux2014_s390x.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; libipld-3.4.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.whl
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See also py-cid · betterproto-rust-codec · rlp · eth-rlp · rustworkx · cbor2 · atproto · databento-dbn · faster-eth-abi · py-multibase