What Is Arweave (AR)?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Arweave is a decentralized storage network that seeks to offer a platform for the indefinite storage of data. Describing itself as "a collectively owned hard drive that never forgets," the network primarily hosts "the permaweb" — a permanent, decentralized web with a number of community-driven applications and platforms.
To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Arweave.
The Arweave network uses a native cryptocurrency, AR, to pay "miners" to indefinitely store the network's information.
The project was first announced as Archain in August 2017, later rebranding to Arweave in February 2018 and officially launching in June 2018.
Who Are the Founders of Arweave?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Arweave was founded by Sam Williams and William Jones, two Ph.D. candidates at the University of Kent. Williams came to the project with experience in decentralized and distributed systems, having developed an operating system called HydrOS as a part of his studies, while Jones' focus was on graph theory and neural networking. While Williams dropped out of graduate school to focus on the company, Jones left the project early on in mid-2018 and completed his Ph.D.
According to Williams, he came up with the idea while walking up a mountain in Scotland, later bringing the concept to Jones, with whom he developed the technical details. After launching Arweave, Williams was later named an advisor to Minespider, a company providing blockchain-based supply chain tracking for the raw materials industry, and he has served as a mentor for the Techstars accelerator program.
Although Arweave was founded with centralized leadership, it launched a decentralized autonomous organization in January 2020 comprised of core community members to further the development and expansion of the network and its ecosystem.
What Makes Arweave Unique?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
According to its yellow paper, Arweave seeks to ensure the "collective ability to store and share information between individuals and across time to new generations." In order to accomplish this goal, its flagship permaweb is built on top of Arweave's "blockweave," a variation of blockchain technology in which each block is linked to both the one immediately prior and also a random earlier one. Arweave says this incentivizes miners to store more data because they need to be able to access random previous blocks to add new ones and receive rewards.
Arweave is focused on building a sustainable ecosystem around the network. In June 2020, it unveiled "profit sharing tokens," which allow developers to receive dividends when network transaction fees are generated from their application, and it hosts incubators to support the building of permaweb-based apps. The project also works with startups through its "Boost" program, offering free storage and access to the Arweave team and industry investors.
In March 2020, Arweave announced that it had received $8.3 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures and Coinbase Ventures. This followed an earlier November 2019 investment also from Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures, as well as Multicoin Capital.
How Many Arweave (AR) Coins Are There in Circulation?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
According to its yellow paper, Arweave has a maximum token supply of 66 million AR. 55 million AR was minted when the blockweave's genesis block was created in June 2018, and an additional 11 million will be gradually introduced as block rewards.
Arweave held a token pre-sale event in August 2017 in which 10.8% of the initially generated token supply was sold, and two public sales were completed in May 2018 and June 2018 in which 7.1% and 1.1% of the supply was sold, respectively. The company allocated an additional 19.5% for a private sale, 2.9% for project advisors, 13% for the team (subject to a five-year lock-up with 20% released per year), 19.1% for ecosystem development, and 26.5% for future project use (subject to a five-year lock-up with 20% released per year).
How Is the Arweave Network Secured?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
The Arweave network is built on a modified version of blockchain technology it calls "blockweave," which uses a "proof-of-access" consensus algorithm — a modified version of proof-of-work. With PoA, each new block is not only linked to the one immediately prior to it but to a random previous block as well, and both blocks are hashed to generate the new one. Miners are not required to store an entire blockchain, but they are incentivized to store more information to prove they can access the old blocks that are required to mine a new one.
The mining protocol used by Arweave, RandomX, was successfully audited by four cybersecurity firms — Trail of Bits, Kudelski Security, X41 D-Sec and QuarksLab — in August 2019. The project plans to utilize a new mining algorithm starting in early 2021 known as SPoRA, which it said in December 2020 had been audited by NCC Group.
Where Can You Buy Arweave (AR)?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
AR can be purchased on cryptocurrency exchanges such as MXC.COM, Bilaxy, Huobi Global, and Hoo, among others. It can be traded against the stablecoin Tether (USDT) as well as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).
Are you interested in buying AR or other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin? CoinMarketCap has a simple, step-by-step guide to teach you all about crypto and how to buy your first coins.
Related Pages:
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Learn about Filecoin, a distributed storage network from the creators of the InterPlanetary File System.
Learn about Siacoin, the native cryptocurrency of the Sia distributed cloud storage network.
Want to know more about decentralized storage? Read more about what it seeks to achieve on Alexandria, CoinMarketCap's online educational resource.
Keep up with the latest in technological innovations offered by blockchain with the CoinMarketCap Blog.
What is Blockchain?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger technology that securely records transactions across multiple computers in a verifiable and permanent way. It forms the underlying technology for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and enables transparency, security, and immutability.
What is Cryptocurrency?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual form of currency that uses cryptography for security. It operates on decentralized networks, typically based on blockchain technology, and facilitates secure and transparent peer-to-peer transactions.
What is Bitcoin?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto. It operates on a decentralized peer-to-peer network and is used for secure, transparent, and censorship-resistant transactions.
What is the difference between Bitcoin and Altcoins?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Bitcoin is the original and most widely recognized cryptocurrency, while altcoins refer to any other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin. Examples of altcoins include Ethereum, Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and many others.
What is Staking?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Staking involves participants locking up a certain amount of cryptocurrency in a wallet to support the operations of a blockchain network. It is commonly associated with proof-of-stake (PoS) and delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus mechanisms, where participants receive rewards for helping secure the network.
How Can I Stake Cryptocurrency?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
To stake cryptocurrency, you typically need to choose a platform or network that supports staking. Transfer your tokens to a compatible wallet, follow the staking instructions provided by the platform, and lock up the desired amount of cryptocurrency. Once staked, you may start earning rewards.
What Are Staking Rewards and How Are They Calculated?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Staking rewards are incentives provided to participants who lock up their cryptocurrency to support the network. The amount of rewards varies and is influenced by factors such as the network's inflation rate, the total amount staked, and the specific rules of the staking protocol.
Can I Unstake My Cryptocurrency at Any Time?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
The ability to unstake and withdraw your cryptocurrency depends on the specific staking protocol and network. Some platforms may have lock-up periods or unbonding periods during which your staked tokens are inaccessible. Always check the terms and conditions of the staking service.
What are the Risks of Staking?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
Staking comes with risks, including the potential loss of staked funds if a participant behaves maliciously or fails to fulfill their responsibilities. Market volatility can also impact the value of staked tokens. It's crucial to thoroughly research the staking protocol and understand the associated risks.
Can I Lose Money by Staking?
![plus](/images/icon/icon-plus-light.svg)
![minus](/images/icon/icon-minus-light.svg)
While staking is designed to be a rewarding activity, there is a risk of losing money, especially if the value of the staked cryptocurrency decreases or if the staking protocol encounters security issues. It's important to consider both the potential rewards and risks before participating in staking.