In the context of blockchain technology and specifically Filecoin, Proof of Replication (PoRep) is a key concept.
Filecoin is a decentralized storage system that aims to “store humanity’s most important information.” In this system, PoRep is a cryptographic proof that a unique encoding of data has been replicated to its own uniquely dedicated physical storage. In other words, it’s a way to ensure that data isn’t being faked or duplicated in the system, but is genuinely being stored as promised.
The goal of PoRep is to make sure that storage miners, who are rewarded for offering storage to the network, are actually providing the storage they claim to be. This helps to prevent various types of attacks and fraudulent behavior.