GM fellow Arweaver!
It’s good to pause occasionally when building a long-term project and reflect on the mission that’s driving it forward. Arweave’s no different in this regard. Today, we’re looking at the document that defines why permanent storage is necessary and how we turn that vision into reality.
Let’s get back to basics.
The Permanent Information Storage Protocol 📄
Some call it a whitepaper, others a lightpaper. We call it essential reading for anyone building on Arweave. Think of it as the North Star in our mission to build a permanent ledger of human speech and data.
We’re diving into core principles of Draft 17 today, but covering all 14 pages in-depth is a tall order for a single newsletter. We recommend following along in parallel to get the full picture. You can find the complete document here: arweave.org/files/arweave-lightpaper.pdf
Now, to understand why Arweave exists, let’s first look at the fundamental problem it solves.
A Permanent Solution to the Forgetful Internet
In its current form, the internet is fragile and forgetful. Every year, a significant portion of content is lost to broken links or shifting priorities. While the World Wide Web revolutionized how we share information, it also introduced the challenge of centralized control, giving entities the power to censor or manipulate information.
Arweave proposes a system for the disintermediated transmission of information across space and time. By removing the middleman, Arweave provides predictable rights to users, ensuring information remains unchanged for the maximum possible term.
To achieve this technical goal, Arweave’s protocol is constructed upon three core components: Cryptographic Proofs of Storage, a Storage Endowment, and Incentivized Evolution.
Cryptographic Proofs of Storage
To be a truly permanent ledger, Arweave must verify that data is replicated and accessible at all times. It achieves this through Succinct Proofs of Random Access (SPoRA).
Under SPoRA’s consensus model, miners must prove they have access to a randomly selected piece of data from the network’s history to mine a new block. This creates a massive incentive to store as much of the weave as possible.
By using succinct proofs, the protocol keeps verification overhead low. This minimizes bandwidth while maximizing decentralization. It’s a mathematical speed limit that ensures the network's energy is spent on the utility of data storage rather than pure computation.
The Storage Endowment
“How is it paid for?” is the inevitable question that arises when considering how permanent storage is actually achieved. Section 5 covers this in length with the introduction of Arweave’s Storage Endowment. In short, when a user uploads data to Arweave, a fraction of the fee goes to the miner immediately. The majority is sent to an endowment fund that grows steadily over time.
The fees for this transaction use a calculation that covers 20 replicas of user data for 200 years. This creates a self-executing, sustainable engine that ensures miners are incentivized to keep your data accessible for centuries, not just years.
Data that’s secured permanently for a one-time payment is a key part of the protocol that makes Arweave extraordinary.
Incentivized Evolution
If Arweave is to be capable of lasting centuries, without deviating from its core mission, it must adapt without a central authority. To achieve this and ensure long-term resilience, Arwave opts for a system of fork-based evolution. Anyone can propose an upgrade, while the open market decides which version to adopt.
By rewarding innovators for noncoercive upgrades, Arweave creates an idea marketplace that encourages constant optimization. This ensures the protocol stays technically relevant for centuries, evolving organically while maintaining the integrity of the data that’s stored.
In the true spirit of decentralization and network utility, the guiding philosophies behind Incentivized Evolution, The Framework for Evolving Arweave and the Principles of the Arweave network, are readily accessible and secured onchain permanently.
This Is Why We Weave
In a world of digital amnesia and centralized gatekeepers, a “forgetful” internet is simply a choice, not an inevitability.
By choosing to build on Arweave, we’re staking a claim for our future. We’re ensuring that the stories, data, and truths of today are available to the generations of tomorrow and beyond, unhindered by censorship or decay.
This is a permanent foundation for human history.
This is the mission.
This is why we weave.
Let’s get to work.
ICYMI 👀
Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s been unfolding across Arweave and AO.
- ar.io reboots website and branding
- AO launches $1,300 AI chat contest
- ArcAO announces Ambassador Program
- Markdown Provenance tool for Claude Code
This week's community feature 📝
Arweave Architect El Tío published a detailed review of the impressive growth behind Bazar’s Permabites meetups.
From Nigeria and India to China and Saudi Arabia, it’s been a busy few months for Arweavers around the world. Read all about it in El Tío’s write up.
Thanks for reading!
If you know anyone else who would find this information and our insights helpful, please share this newsletter with them.
Follow us on X at @onlyarweave to stay updated on all things Arweave. Want to dive deeper into AO? Check out @aoComputerClub.
The Longview Team
This is not investment advice. No profit guarantees. If in the U.S., ensure compliance with U.S. laws and seek professional advice.