The original Freenet had over 6m downloads over the years - and pioneered ideas like cryptographic contracts which later formed the basis for bitcoin, but it was always a very experimental project, while the new Freenet is designed for mass adoption.

They key differences between old and new Freenet are:

Functionality: The previous version was analogous to a decentralized hard drive, while the current version is analogous to a full decentralized computer.

Real-time Interaction: The current version allows users to subscribe to data and be notified immediately if it changes. This is essential for systems like instant messaging or group chat.

Programming Language: Unlike the previous version, which was developed in Java, the current Freenet is implemented in Rust. This allows for better efficiency and integration into a wide variety of platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, MacOS, etc).

Transparency: The current version is a drop-in replacement for the world wide web and is just as easy to use.

Anonymity: While the previous version was designed with a focus on anonymity, the current version does not offer built-in anonymity but allows for a choice of anonymizing systems to be layered on top.