What is AR.IO?
As we saw in the “Why AR.IO?” article, AR.IO creates a decentralized and incentivized infrastructure network that enables gateway operators to interact with permanent data on Arweave.
These new decentralized gateways not only provide incentives for the provision of data, but also improve network performance, making modern applications feasible with fast downloads, data indexing, and powerful query capabilities.
It’s actually exciting to see what this new network can produce.
It will be interesting to watch how others leverage this network as we already see a shift in what the ar.io network produces and who it helps.
So, what is ar.io?
🐘 A community.
🐘 A decentralized gateway node network.
🐘 A protocol to facilitate indexing, sharing, and serving of permaweb data.
🐘 A currency used to align network incentives and promote ecosystem health, the IO Token.
The AR.IO Network benefits all types of users of the Arweave protocol, including gateway operators, developers, creators, and IO token holders.
For gateway operators
The Arweave protocol does not exist alone.
Various nodes on the ar.io network, called gateways, are the interface between users and the Arweave network. Each gateway acts like a “Permaweb Service Provider”, supporting multiple value-added, low-trust services for users and applications that need to read and write data on Arweave.
Gateway services are modular, extensible, and configurable, and include:Arweave.net successfully moved to the management of the ar.io network in early 2022. With this transition, new opportunities emerged. The first is the need for a new protocol for open source gateways to the Permaweb. This protocol has been developed, and gateways using the new ar.io network protocol are in private testing.
Seeding layer 1 transactions to the larger Arweave network
Cache and provide chain and transaction data
Use Arweave name system to resolve friendly names to transaction data
Indexing and querying Layer 1 and Layer 2 transactions
Acts as a proxy for the Arweave node, providing Arweave HTTP API services
Gateway operators keep the front door open for their own use cases, their communities, and even the entire permaweb by running reliable and performant systems.
For developers
A common misconception about Arweave is that it is only for storage. In fact, Arweave is also a great platform for building decentralized applications (dapps) and already has a strong ecosystem with many projects.
Arweave is easier, cheaper, and more fun to build than most developers imagine.
In the Arweave community, there are many great development tools to help build your application, such as arweave.js, warp contracts, and many other community tools and protocols. A good starting point is the Arweave Cookbook.
An important tool for building Arweave is the Arweave File System (ArFS). ArFS enhances the Arweave protocol by adding features such as creating data hierarchies (folders), private encryption, file versioning, controlled sharing, etc. It allows you to leverage the power of the Permaweb to implement the projects you want.
As Arweave founder Sam Williams said:
ArFS is really awesome! Arweave is essentially a hard drive focused on persistent data replication. ArFS turns that hard drive into a file system, complete with directories, filenames, updates, etc. Im sure ArFS will end up being part of the stack for most Arweave applications. — Sam Williams, Founder of Arweave
Let’s get started. We are developers building for developers. We are here to help you get your project started. To learn how ArFS can help you get started with your first Arweave dapp, visit our GitHub to browse the documentation, join our Discord to ask questions to the team and community, or visit our YouTube channel to watch coding demos.
For creators
Artists and creatives were among the first to explore Web3 technologies. Digital artists, electronic musicians, and video game creators were very interested in blockchain and what it could bring.
They quickly learned that maintaining artistic value requires provenance and permanence. This led many to turn to Arweave and the importance of permanent data. This also opened up new possibilities for their work, as permanent data pushed their work in new directions.
AR.IO has tools to help artists and entrepreneurs take advantage of the Permaweb. For example, the Arweave Name System (ArNS) allows creators to assign a friendly name to permanent web data. That way, instead of just being a random 90-character URL, your artwork or new business website can be published with a name that’s easier to remember.
Art explores unexplored territory. We’re excited to see what your imagination will spark when you harness the power of permanent data.
join us!
The best way to learn about AR.IO and the permaweb is through AR.IO Experience: our incentive program that rewards those who interact with the ar.io ecosystem.
Earn experience points (EXP) through missions - representing on-chain tokens that may qualify you for AR.IO airdrops. In other words, EXP levels you up for the IO token mainnet airdrop!
Visit AR.IO Experience: https://ar.io/experience
