Arweave

Arweave (AR) is a data-storage blockchain protocol built to make information permanent. Using a novel proof-of-access consensus, it offers a way to store data once and keep it available forever, and AR is the token that pays for that storage and rewards the network of nodes that preserve it. The model is simple to describe: pay once, store forever.

What is Arweave?

Arweave tackles a long-standing problem in computing, durable and censorship-resistant data availability, by creating what it calls the permaweb. Instead of paying a monthly cloud bill, users pay a single upfront fee to store files permanently. This makes Arweave a foundational layer for archiving websites, applications, NFT media and datasets that need to survive long after their original hosts disappear, in a $3 trillion data-storage industry.

How does Arweave work?

Arweave organizes data in a structure it calls the blockweave, and its proof-of-access consensus requires miners to prove they can access older, randomly chosen blocks in order to add new ones. This incentivizes nodes to store as much of the network's historical data as possible, because doing so improves their chances of earning rewards. The result is a highly replicated, decentralized archive rather than a single point of failure, with no reliance on a central storage provider.

Arweave tokenomics and supply

AR has a maximum supply of 66,000,000 tokens, and roughly 65.65 million already exist, so nearly the entire supply is in circulation. When users pay to store data, part of the fee funds an endowment that pays miners to keep serving that data far into the future, aligning the economics with the promise of permanence. AR's price has ranged from an all-time high near $89.24 to lows below thirty cents.

• Fixed maximum supply of 66 million AR
• Storage fees fund a long-term endowment for miners
• Proof of access rewards nodes for retaining old data

What is Arweave used for?

Arweave is used to store anything that needs to be permanent: web pages, decentralized app front-ends, NFT assets, research data and more. It sits at the intersection of storage, DePIN and even AI, since permanent, verifiable datasets are valuable for training and provenance. Many Web3 projects rely on Arweave to guarantee that their content cannot be quietly altered or lost, giving it a clear infrastructure role.

Where to buy Arweave

AR is listed on many leading exchanges. Compare trading fees, liquidity and regional access in our best crypto exchanges ranking before buying. For longer-term holding, move AR into self-custody using a compatible wallet, and see our best crypto wallets guide to pick one that fits your security preferences.

Is Arweave a good investment?

Arweave has a distinctive, useful product and a nearly fully circulating, capped supply, but demand for AR ultimately depends on ongoing storage usage and competition from other decentralized and traditional storage providers. Its price has been highly volatile, and the endowment model's long-term sustainability rests on assumptions about falling storage costs. Treat AR as a speculative infrastructure bet and never invest more than you can afford to lose. This is not financial advice.