Arweave (AR): how it works, supply and reviews

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Key facts

Ticker: AR
Network: own blockchain
Official site: arweave.org/#landing-page
Source code: github.com/ArweaveTeam/arweave

Data: CoinGecko (trading activity) and CoinPaprika (links), 2026-10-27. Only projects that still trade with meaningful volume are listed.

What is Arweave

Arweave is a blockchain-based protocol for permanent data storage: users pay once in AR and the network keeps the data replicated over the long term. A storage endowment funded by upload fees pays miners over time for proving they store the data.

Network and consensus

Network and consensus — Arweave
Parameter	Details
Type	Layer-1 network for permanent data storage ("blockweave")
Consensus	Mining based on succinct proofs of access and replication of stored data
Block time	About 2 minutes on average, up to 1,000 transactions per block
Launched	8 June 2018
Programming language	Reference node implemented in Erlang

Supply and issuance

Supply and issuance — Arweave
Parameter	Details
Maximum supply	66 million AR
Initial distribution	55 million AR created in the genesis block
Issuance	A further 11 million AR released gradually as block mining rewards that decrease with block height
Storage endowment	Most of each upload fee goes into an endowment that pays miners over time; users pay upfront for 20 replicas for 200 years at present costs

What AR is used for

Paying one-time fees to store data permanently
Funding the storage endowment that pays miners over time
Mining rewards for nodes that store and prove data
A means of value exchange on the network

Who develops and governs Arweave

Founders: Sam Williams, lead author of the yellow paper and lightpaper
Developer: Arweave team (ArweaveTeam on GitHub); the ecosystem describes itself as decentralized
Governance: Protocol changes through fork-based "incentivized evolution" rather than on-chain voting
Open source: Yes, released under GNU General Public License v2.0

History

History — Arweave
Date	Event
8 June 2018	Mainnet launched with 55 million AR in the genesis block
26 December 2023	Lightpaper draft 17 documented the protocol as implemented in version 2.7.0

Risks and caveats

Data is meant to be permanent; miners are responsible for complying with data protection and other laws where they operate
The endowment model assumes storage costs keep falling over time; its purchasing power changes with data volume, storage costs and token value
Each participant chooses which data to store and serve, so content policies differ across the network

Official links

Website: arweave.org
Docs: docs.arweave.org
Whitepaper: www.arweave.org/yellow-paper.pdf
Source code: github.com/ArweaveTeam/arweave

Questions and answers

What is Arweave?

Arweave is a decentralized network for permanent data storage, where users pay once in AR and miners are paid over time to keep the data.

Who created Arweave?

Arweave was created by a team led by Sam Williams, lead author of its yellow paper; the mainnet launched on 8 June 2018.

What is the maximum supply of AR?

66 million AR: 55 million created at genesis and 11 million released gradually as mining rewards.

How does Arweave work?

Miners produce a block about every 2 minutes and must prove with succinct proofs that they store and can access the data; upload fees fund an endowment that pays them over time.

Sources

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Page updated: 2026-10-29