I'd been familiar with Gasda's work. I heard about Dimes Square, the play that became an underground hit about the downtown media types, and caught a few table reads of Last Days of Downtown, the final installment in that series. But I was curious how he would approach writing a play about AI.

I caught the first night in the new Manhattan space. The play is set in a San Francisco apartment, loosely drawn from the November 2023 coup attempt at OpenAI following the board's sudden firing of Sam Altman, the forty-eight hour implosion, the staff ultimatum, and the quiet rehiring. Act 1 follows Seth's inner circle scrambling after the firing from MindMesh, and Act 2 shifts to the board in similar disarray. Both acts carry a Succession-esque war room intensity, corporate jargon and witty banter that capture the chaos of the event. Altman's inspired character Seth, played by Sam Hyrkin, takes Machiavellian measures to hold the room, supported by Myra, played by Nikol Tsvetanova, loosely based on former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.

"I was fired for creating miracles," Seth says at one point.

On the other side, ethicist officer Alina, played by Anastasia Wolfe, and Stanford AI lawyer Sanjay, played by Yousuf Shah, raise the moral stakes while the rest of the room stays largely apathetic to the realities of what they are building. Each character shows flickers of genuine idealism but ultimately succumbs to self-interest and cynicism.

In the second act, the Celsius-fueled board scrambles to contain what is brewing inside the company. Near the end, the doomer Substack writer Eli, played by Zach Hendrickson, prompts the MindMesh chatbot to provide an allegory of itself. The response, comparing itself to the "Gardener of Babylon," breaks the fourth wall in a sense. That monologue was actually generated by Anthropic's Claude chatbot, which is why both Claude and ChatGPT receive dramaturg credits in the program. AI-generated hypotheticals already feel overdone in art, and Doomers leans into this, letting the AI narrate its own mythology inside the drama as a bit of comedic relief.

As it ended, my flatmate turned to me: "that felt like a synthesis of our kitchen conversations." The girl sitting behind us laughed at that comment, but the kind of laugh that you do while cringing inside knowing that others spend their free time debating AI futures over tea before bed. There's something funny about watching a play about a very niche online event at a very niche theater. From the outside one would think this shouldn't work, but it does.

Doomers reveals the uncanny side of tech culture and human psychology. The character Sanjay at one point complains that he is "a humanist in a town full of transhumanists," which hits home for anyone working in tech who actually likes the beautiful mess of humans. The glimmers of empathy the characters show, followed almost immediately by something only a sociopath would say, leaves the audience wondering how the incredibly smart yet socially inept people shaping the future of technology actually see the rest of us "midwits."

It has been over two years since the events the play portrays and AGI has not killed us yet, but the mood is not hopeful either. Nick Land coming out of the shadows to do meetups in the Bay Area in 2026 to a warm reception, while other countries continue tightening their grip on AI regulation, shows that the AI discourse is continuing to splinter. The play does not resolve, which could be a reflection of Gasda's own thoughts on AI. He is someone that uses a flip phone and then semi-ironically lists Claude and ChatGPT as dramaturgs in the credits. I like contradictions and the play is full of contradictions. The discussions are much more nuanced than either taking a pro-tech or degrowth stance. It's a play that takes the AI discourse seriously with philosophical range, genuine technical literacy, and the right amount of irony for the room it's playing to.

Doomers is playing until February 27th at the Center for Theatre Research in Manhattan.

This piece is published in the Permaweb Journal. Press materials from the Center for Theatre Research have been preserved on Arweave as part of the journal's ongoing effort to archive ephemeral cultural documentation.

With the Permaweb Journal, I'm exploring both tech and literary communities on X. In my foray into these new spaces, I've encountered a larger number of people than expected who have a spiritual and philosophical outlook toward tech. These communities, alongside the lit scene that I was introduced to through my short time in NYC, have me interested in the crossovers of online philosophy, literature, and tech.

Ever since a fortune teller at my high school prom predicted some spooky things about my future that ruined my night and haunted me for subsequent nights, I've kept spirituality at arm's length. But I tend to find myself in situations where it comes up anyway.

Recently a girl pointed at a tattoo on my arm of a scale and asked, "Are you a Libra?"

I was immediately confused. Do I really look like a spiritual kind of person? "I'm not sure," I said, "I just liked the way it looked."

After a certain amount of tattoos, the meanings become arbitrary. Tattoos are sort of like carbon dating for bad decisions, and I prefer not to explain the psychology behind my poor decision making to a random person I just met.

The conversation continued and I complimented her nose ring. I told her I used to have one in my more eccentric days.

"Why'd you take it out?" she asked. "Got sick of being called slurs from the less accepting types?"

"No, that never bothered me. I actually looked in the mirror one day and didn't like how off-balanced my face looked with a piece of metal on one side of my nose."

"Like a true Libra," she replied.

Fair play. On that day I moved to the right on the astrology girl bell curve.

Like the scale on the back of my arm, I'm on a quest to find balance. Finding place online isn't easy. You have to navigate schizo anons, productivity-maxing tech bros, degen gamblers, influencers, academics and more. I don't fit into any of these subgroups, so I'm left wondering: how does one actually find place online?

Is it yelling into the void? Becoming a reply guy? Engagement farming by copying posts from larger accounts? None of those feel authentic, and any real person will see through the performance.

But performing online is part of the game we play if we want to be noticed. The physically attractive post thirst traps on Instagram. The wordcels and shape rotators post on X.

Finding place IRL is hard too. Now in NYC I find myself not fitting into the corporate types or the hipster types. I feel myself becoming soft from sitting on a computer all day and sometimes catch myself LARPing blue-collar by wearing boots and Carhartt carpenter pants just to go into the office and write about a niche internet community.

After work I hit the gym, and my favorite part is hanging from a pull-up bar. Not because Andrew Huberman said to do it, but to try and get the calluses back that once covered my palms from working construction many summers ago. It's all a performance, but in most cases we're performing for ourselves whether it is online or offline. So might as well be genuine in it.

I believe the most successful people online have taste and authenticity. Authenticity comes from having substance. And tastemakers know how to perform effortlessly.

I'm at a point where I have substance but still trying to find taste. I've spent the past 6 months in my local Obsidian notes writing longform articles that turned into a publication, preparing personal blogs and soon a draft for a novel.

I have a lot to say but I'm still searching for methods of tasteful performance.

I find a lot of people online have good taste, but not a whole lot of substance. In tech, there is no shortage of vaporware crypto or AI companies that aren't doing a whole lot under the hood, but they have the performance down. I'm new to the lit world, but I've always found the Dime's Square scene's online presence funny because instead of creating art, they talk online about creating art. But it kind of works. In both cases they found their place online. The performance IS their substance.

The most sustainable approach is probably somewhere in the middle of "if you build it, they will come" and "performance is the substance," but what do I know?

Maybe the answer is that there is no perfect balance. This is my sisyphean struggle.

Like a true Libra.

Getting off the train at the Brighton Beach stop, I felt myself step back in time and into a foreign place. The store signs were in Cyrillic, everyone milling about the streets spoke Russian, and the dreary-looking brick apartment blocks lining the seaside felt like they were plucked right out of a Soviet-era city.

This place felt haunted. Not by ghosts, but by a past and possibly a future that never arrived. Hauntology, as Derrida calls this phenomenon. A generation that was promised a utopia, but instead forced to escape persecution and economic collapse at home. Now these retirees live on a couple blocks of beachfront known as "Little Odessa" on the outskirts of the capitalist center of America.

After leaving the subway stop, I walked along the boardwalk. During my walk I observed the different intonations of the locals. The teenagers code-switching between Russian and English, likely kids of first or second generation immigrants navigating the strange convergence of their parents' old world to the melting pot of NYC. I couldn't help but think of the film Anora, which tried to capture those feelings of nostalgia and futures by weaving through the dynamics of post-Soviet diaspora communities together with edgy Gen Z culture.

I had mixed feelings about the film, but it had a certain vibe that resonates with a younger audience. It tied in Zoomer language and references and appeared exotic for someone outside of the Russian American community. But is it based on reality? I personally cannot answer but have seen some critiques online about this. Some claim the film is nothing more than a caricature of typical Russian tropes (sex workers, gangsters, oligarchs, etc.) with cliche dialects, ethnic grievances, and social dynamics of a conservative culture in a liberal city.

Even if it's not true to Brighton Beach's reality, the director successfully created his own reality. A simulacrum as Baudrillard terms this. A copy without an original. A mashup of Russian American cliches, Zoomer language, reactionary (possibly Red Scare influenced) lore, and as a result you get a new hyperreality that is the film Anora.

I continued my walk along the beach until the rain and wind became unbearable. I was happy that I managed to touch sand for the first time this year, which is unlike me as I am very much a beach person. I passed a few old retired couples out for a stroll. I couldn't tell if I should say hello, but none looked inviting, so instead we shared conciliatory nods and a brief hello or привет to a few.

I then sat down for a traditional meal. The small, unassuming Euroasia Cafe was not much to look at from the outside or inside but was filled with locals spending the afternoon with friends and family. The TV in the corner played Russian music videos from the 80s. I ordered borscht, a side of pelmeni, and drank a mug of sweet kompot. It was strangely nostalgic. I had this very meal on many cold and rainy days like today. At one point during my meal, a song I recognized by Rauf & Faik played, bringing slight melancholia over me, as it was one of the first Russian songs I've ever heard.

I finished my meal, and the friendly old Russian waitress thanked me for coming in, and I thanked her for the really tasty food in the few phrases of Russian I knew. She appreciated the attempt.

It was then time to leave. It was best not to overstay my welcome in this foreign place. I rode the Q train back up to Northern Brooklyn and thought about these ghosts we carry with us, whether they are people, places, time periods, or even the physical or digital embodiment of these phenomena.

This is an idea I've been thinking about recently in regards to my online experience. I am too young to remember the blogging era of music or the "indie sleaze" scene that emerged out of the once-arts district of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I grew up idealizing that scene as the cool merger of rock music, electronic music, and avant-garde art. This era rolled into the Tumblr aesthetic of the 2010s with its dark and moody vibes embodied by musicians even outside of NYC such as Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, Lana Del Rey, and others that once filled my high school playlists. Although by this point the economic status of Williamsburg was changing dramatically, I still associated the gritty industrial aesthetic that permeated through online culture and even physical spaces as downstream of the Brooklyn indie era.

Now Williamsburg is nothing like that. It is luxury apartments rented out to tech and finance workers, Whole Foods and other chains, and a few industrial cafes and bars (relics of the past). I never experienced that previous era, but when I visited Williamsburg for the first time, I felt a nostalgia for a time I never experienced nor will. It is hard to discern our living experience between the physical and digital. If we romanticize based on our digital world enough, we create our own idealization of what we think the physical world should be. In a sense we create our own simulacrum that can never be actualized in the physical.

In relation but with a focus on cyberspace, Mark Fisher takes Derrida's concept of hauntology and applies it to 21st century media and technology. A key idea is that we are not nostalgic for the past, but for the futures the past already imagined. For example, the early internet pioneers imagined an open and democratic cyberspace, the cypherpunk and DIY vision for the internet. Musicians and other artists creating their own blogs, leveraging social media and no longer needing to rely on corporate support for distribution. This reality did not come to fruition as we turned towards a platform-dominated cyberspace and new economic models built on surveillance. Therefore many of us are nostalgic for a future cyberspace that was already imagined in the 90s.

When I arrived home from my afternoon at Brighton Beach, I began writing this. On a personal level, I left feeling nostalgic for a time I once recognized, but never felt truly a part of. I romanticized past experiences but I always knew deep down I would have been an outsider, not out of choice, but out of circumstances. Sunday was a nice reminder of this.

Although I'm on the older side of Gen Z, I still associate with this digital native generation that is shaped by the online world. It doesn't matter where you come from geographically, Zoomers have their own style, interests, and slang that transcend physical borders more so than generational divides. We can relate to a fellow Zoomer in other countries better than a Boomer in our own at times. So I wonder what will happen to ethnic enclaves such as Brighton Beach. The teenagers I heard on the boardwalk doing that lingual dance between Russian and English was fun to hear, but will this pass onto the next generation, or will it become lost as generations merge further into the monoculture creeping out from cyberspace?

Now I'm sitting in my tiny studio, listening to my autumn playlist, reflecting on the changing of the seasons, changing of times and growing older.

I just turned 27 this month. This is the first birthday I've felt the time pressure. The past few years I lived in a different country, embraced new cultures, fell in love, fell out of love, saw new places, did hard things. And after all of that I moved home feeling empty because I wasn't onto something greater. But do we always have to?

Life doesn't always go on a constant upward trajectory. It's a bit zigzagged as we traverse. I view life through phases of ~4 years. That is enough time for someone to go through mental, physical and environmental changes. For example for me:

• high school: 14-18 years old

• undergrad: 19-22 years old

• grad school/early career: 23-26 years old

• next phase: 27 - ?

I don't have a name for this phase yet, but it is different than the others because there is no predefined path. The priorities of my peers and I were pretty similar through other phases; graduate high school, college, start a career. Now paths change. Some are getting married, having kids, climbing the corporate ladder, starting businesses, etc.

The time pressure I mentioned is the pressure to create something memorable before I am old and other responsibilities emerge. That is why I moved here to get the Permaweb Journal off the ground.

Of course this isn't the smartest decision for my pockets. I had a few people try and talk me out of moving here. It would be a lot easier if I took a normal job, saved my money and lived at home or in Philly with friends. Fortunately I never caught the gambling vice since I never felt the rush of winning. With that said, I am not scared to gamble on myself.

Brooklyn to start a tech and culture magazine? I know it sounds cliché, but I believe that we are at a turning point in technology. A lot will change in the next few years with AI and I don't want to live in a cyberpunk dystopia. I am very much pro-tech acceleration, but very much anti whatever this race to the bottom AI slop and big tech surveillance that increasingly creeps into our daily lives. Instead of relying on regulators to get the tech right, I'd much rather try and build better internet tech from the ground up. The Permaweb Journal covers the people and technologies trying to do exactly that.

This is why New York makes sense for what I am trying to accomplish. It is a hub for tech and media. It's hard living, expensive, and competitive, but a lot happens downstream from New York. I feel it every time I walk the streets of Manhattan. Everyone moves fast. People have places to be, you feel small and alone but that is the point. It is a pressure cooker that demands your best.

Now I am going to enjoy the rest of this sunny Sunday. Maybe get another outrageously expensive coffee and read outside. (Not performatively!) I have some thoughts on how performative we all are now that I may write about in the future, but for now I will enjoy the waning warm days as we shift further into fall without the internet's judgment.

That changed when I discovered the permaweb.

Arweave has product-market fit. It’s coming up on its 7-year anniversary, longer than the lifespan of most hard drives, which typically last 3 to 5 years. Data storage isn’t flashy, but Arweave keeps growing year after year. Dare I say it’s reaching Lindy status?

Now, the ecosystem is evolving beyond storage. AO, Arweave’s new compute layer, takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of trying to scale shared state execution like most blockchains, AO is built on message-passing between processes, similar to how the internet operates through stateless, addressable communication. This makes AO scalable by design, not by compromise.

Following the AO transition

I’m not a deeply technical person. I write more than I code. To keep up with the ecosystem, I started using Obsidian as a notetaking tool and logged everything I found useful: X threads, blog posts, interview notes, and insights from conversations with the many gigabrained developers I’ve met.

This personal repo became my go-to source for tracking the fast-paced evolution of the ecosystem. As the AO mainnet approached, it became increasingly difficult to follow the latest updates. Community questions piled up. Unlike a traditional testnet-to-mainnet launch, the transition from legacynet to mainnet is a complex and continuous process.

Beyond AO’s rollout, reliable information is still hard to come by for both developers and users.

One reason is the ecosystem is successfully decentralized. No single org controls the narrative. Each team builds freely, which leads to different visions and development paths. That is the promise of open protocols.

Another reason is that the AO team ships new features weekly, pushing the boundaries of what decentralized compute can do. But with that speed, docs fall behind. Developers feel left in the dark. Users feel abandoned when their favorite apps go quiet, while builders are still catching up to AO’s latest changes.

On the bright side, AO has a founder focused on getting the architecture right from the start. Major changes are hard to retrofit into a mature protocol. Just look at the ongoing challenges with scaling Ethereum.

🐘🔗 sam.arweave.dev

@samecwilliams

Happy Saturday @aoTheComputer

github.com

feat: Legacynet SU compatibility and green zone registration by samcamwilliams · Pull Request #177...

Objective This PR introduces preview-stage compatibility with GETing and POSTing to AO legacynet schedulers using the ~scheduler@1.0 device. Additionally, the ~push@1.0 device has been upgraded to ...

122

9:02 PM • Mar 22, 2025

Creating the Permaweb Journal

That’s what led me to start the Permaweb Journal. With a background in writing and proximity to the devs building this new web, I saw an opportunity to create a repository of permaweb-native content. This content is meant to help newcomers, whether devs or end users, and to keep the ecosystem informed.

Obsidian is still my home base, which made the Quartz static-site generator an easy choice. It integrates with Obsidian, supports markdown, and lets me link between pages. This setup creates the foundation for a living knowledge network.

Writing for AI

There’s also a deeper motivation. AI is rapidly reshaping how we search. Tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT and even Google Chrome now surface LLM-generated summaries. But LLMs need data. Most of the permaweb’s discussion happens in silos like X, Telegram, and Discord. Written resources are often outdated, disjointed, or not indexable.

A core goal of Permaweb Journal is to become the most indexable content hub on the permaweb. It will be optimized for search engines, retrievable by LLMs, and representative of what is actually happening on our corner of the web.

Permaweb Journal isn’t the first publication to emerge in this ecosystem. Sustaining a media project in crypto is hard, especially when attention spans are short. But by focusing on timeless analysis and indexable insights, I believe the Journal can serve a unique and lasting role in the ecosystem.

Looking forward to expanding this project and building with others.

Follow Permaweb Journal on X to get the latest news and updates about Arweave and AO.

Like many ecosystem projects, AO follows a standardized software release cycle, categorizing protocols into the following phases:

• Preview: The protocol is available for users to try and provide feedback on but is expected to change.

• Early: The protocol is considered feature-complete by its developers, though small tweaks may still be needed.

• Candidate: The initial developers believe no further changes to the core protocol are necessary. At this stage, protocols offer real, enforceable rights to their end users.

• Stable: The community has largely agreed that the protocol will not change in the future. This usually happens when a disagreement forces the protocol to ossify.

The following graphic illustrates the current AO-Core stack as of February 25. Candidate-phase components (AO-Core, Arweave) are in green. Preview-phase components (HyperBEAM) are in orange. Early Access implementations (security, payments, execution) are in red.

On February 9, AO reached Milestone 1, with AO-Core achieving Candidate status. This milestone introduced payment infrastructure, allowing users to pay operators for “fast lane” computation. These payments are already integrated into key developer tools, including AOS and aoconnect.

AO-Core embeds blockchain-style computation verification directly into the internet’s infrastructure, specifically within the HTTP transport layer, rather than creating a separate network. While blockchains collectively have around 300 million users, the internet has 5.5 billion. By integrating with existing web standards, AO can seamlessly tap into this vast user base. More on AO-Core below.

How do payments work on AO Mainnet?

Last Saturday, AO Mainnet and its first devices went live. This completely new implementation, called HyperBEAM, takes AO's original approach of splitting different functionalities into different devices and expands it on a much wider scale. As a result, AO-Core nodes are powerfully flexible in ways that we can't wait to tell you about.

https://mirror.xyz

On February 25, early access to Milestone 2 was released, introducing HyperBEAM-resident compute with embedded CUs. This enables AO processes to run natively inside HyperBEAM, leveraging its built-in scheduling, messaging, and compute devices for the first time. Node operators can now execute these devices in TEE-enabled environments, ensuring verifiable hashpath attestations.

HyperBEAM is a modular operating system for AO-Core, allowing node operators to choose which AO devices to run and offer them to users for a fee. These devices function as blockchain-like modules that can be combined to build applications, managing compute execution while abstracting hardware provisioning for developers. More on HyperBEAM below.

AO-Core: Decentralizing the supercomputer.

AO-Core launched along with AO's native tokens on February 9th, and today the first community-operated mainnet nodes are beginning to be deployed in the network. As well as the general availability of HyperBEAM -- AO's new groundup node implementation -- we are excited to announce today early access for mainnet Milestone 2: allowing users to run their own nodes on Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs).

https://mirror.xyz

Many permaweb applications still run on AO legacynet. Since all legacynet transactions are permanently stored on Arweave, the data remains accessible and can continue to be used as long as the infrastructure is supported.

The transition to HyperBEAM nodes is happening seamlessly, without downtime, as both systems share the same underlying data structures on Arweave, ensuring interoperability.

Legacynet allowed developers to experiment without transaction fees, but as demand grew, congestion became a problem. With no transaction fees and uncapped user demand, congestion was inevitable. Many applications had to implement workarounds that are no longer necessary on mainnet.

AO-Core now introduces a payment mechanism for sending messages, ensuring a sustainable network. Permaweb applications are actively transitioning to HyperBEAM as they adapt to this model.

The AO mainnet launch faced mixed reactions, partly due to the complexity of the technology and communication gaps leading up to the release.

AO is radically different from existing blockchain architectures. Most popular blockchains use a global shared state, which have already proven to be unscalable. AO upends conventional blockchain development for a new actor-oriented approach. This comes with new challenges to develop and communicate to the world.

The AO team is also learning from the mistakes of other crypto ecosystems. Many projects prioritize rapid user adoption and “hype” early in their launch cycles to validate their concepts and keep investors happy. This approach is ultimately shortsighted. Ethereum’s scalability issues were evident early on, but the ecosystem had already grown too large to pivot to a more scalable architecture.

The AO team was aware of this dilemma and sought to avoid it at all costs. After just a few months of testnet, the team was already working on a completely new implementation of AO. This came at the cost of communication. Since these changes were actively in development, the team couldn’t fully share them with the community in real time. As a result, the mainnet launch may have felt abrupt for some in the ecosystem.

If AO had remained unchanged for longer, the transition to mainnet would have been even more difficult. Now that mainnet is live, the AO team is focused on developer documentation and community resources to ensure a smooth migration from legacynet to AO-Core.

AO has already processed 1.5 billion messages since launch, laying the foundation for an expanding ecosystem. Key developments ahead include:

• Community-built devices: Developers are adding new capabilities, including GPU-based implementations.

• Legacynet compatibility: Existing processes will soon be able to run inside HyperBEAM nodes, easing the transition to AO-Core.

• The Green Zone: A secure TEE-enabled node network, where operators stake AO tokens for participation.

• Optimized WASM execution: Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation will bring near-native execution speeds.

The AO mainnet launch was a significant step forward, though not without challenges. Following a clear software release framework helps clarify where AO and its components stand today. This standardized release approach is also adopted by ecosystem projects, helping users understand the status of tools and applications they use.

Have questions about AO or want to connect with the community? Join the AO Discord. Want to run a HyperBEAM node? Check out the HyperBEAM Discord.

AO mainnet is live

AO mainnet is live. Learn more about the new AO-Core protocol, the latest on the AO token, and the launch of the Permaweb Index (PI).

https://paragraph.xyz

Your ultimate Arweave/AO resource guide

Your go-to resource for Arweave/AO ecosystem documentation, projects, and development guides.

https://paragraph.xyz

This is not financial advice. Please do your own research.

Developers can start building on the permaweb with the following cookbooks and guides. Many projects also publish developer tutorials and technical blogs.

This is a growing list of ecosystem projects. If your project isn’t listed but should be, send me a DM on X.

• Arweave's computing platform AO goes live on mainnet - The Block [Feb 8]

• Arweave 2.9 Upgrade Introduces Breakthrough Data Preparation Algorithm - BusinessWire [Jan 27]

• Arweave loads data onto lunar lander headed to the moon, meant to last for thousands of years - The Block [Jan 15]

• Arweave 2.8: A Major Upgrade for the Permaweb - BusinessWire [Nov 14]

• Community Labs Launches $35M AO Ventures Incubator Program for Arweave Ecosystem - Yahoo Finance [April 12]

• Arweave launches public testnet for 'hyper parallel' AO protocol - Crypto Briefing [Feb 27]

Last updated: March 6, 2024

This information is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. Please do your own research.

AO is a hyper-parallel decentralized computer inspired by the actor-oriented paradigm. Unlike traditional blockchain computation models, AO scales efficiently through parallel processing, reducing redundancy while ensuring network verifiability and minimizing trust requirements.

Since February 2024, AO has been running on testnet, allowing users to interact with the network without fees while testing and refining the protocol. Now, AO is live on mainnet.

What’s New?

1. AO-Core

2. AO Token is transferable

3. Permaweb Index (PI)

AO-Core is a new powerful protocol that embeds blockchain-style computation verification directly into the internet’s infrastructure, specifically within the HTTP transport layer.

This means that every web request, whether loading a webpage or interacting with an API, can function as an AO transaction. Instead of requiring separate blockchain integrations, AO is seamlessly embedded into the existing web stack.

Why does this matter?

The internet has 5.5 billion users, while all blockchains combined have around 300 million. By integrating with existing web standards, AO can tap into this massive user base without friction.

This is enabled by HTTP Message Signatures, a new internet standard formalized last year. It allows native signing and verification of HTTP requests, making AO transactions verifiable and transparent without altering how people already use the web.

Additionally, AO eliminates the need for oracles. Since AO operates as a decentralized web server, data exchange between AO processes and the wider internet happens natively, without relying on third-party intermediaries.

Scaling without redundancy

Traditional blockchain networks like Ethereum and Solana rely on repeated execution of the same programs across multiple nodes, which limits scalability. AO, however, increases overall computational power as new hardware joins the network.

Trusted Execution Environments (TEE)

A Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) is like a CPU with the security of a hardware wallet. It ensures that computations occur in a protected space where even the hosting machine cannot see or alter the data being processed.

Compared to Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), which provide privacy but with significant performance trade-offs, TEEs deliver high security with minimal computational overhead.

How TEEs work in AO

1. Attestations of correctness – TEEs can verify computations efficiently, even stacking across multiple hardware manufacturers for added trust.

2. Private computation – Users can run secure applications without revealing underlying data, similar to encrypted transactions but with real-time processing.

This approach brings blockchain-level verifiability to AI, finance, and other data-sensitive industries, without the massive computational costs of traditional cryptographic methods.

AO follows a 100% fair launch model, no pre-mined tokens, no insider allocations. Instead, AO tokens are earned through network participation.

Now that 15% of AO tokens have been mined, the token can now be transferred. Depositors can still bridge assets like stETH and DAI into AO’s pre-bridge system or hold AR to continue earning AO tokens.

AO’s native yield mechanism supports both ecosystem builders and core development efforts, aligning long-term incentives for all participants.

The Permaweb Index (PI) acts as a default means of exchange on the permaweb, offering broad exposure to the entire ecosystem without active management. PI is a token representing ownership of key permaweb assets:

• 1/3 AO

• 1/3 AR

• 1/3 fair-launch projects

How PI works

• Any staked asset depositor or Arweave holder can delegate AO yield to new fair launch projects.

• In return, they receive a portion of those projects’ fair launch tokens.

• This enables projects to distribute 100% of their tokens to users while still securing development funding.

This DeFi technology built by Autonomous Finance uses a combination of smart algorithms and autonomous agents to manage liquidity.

Unlike traditional VC funding, this model eliminates zero-sum competition and fosters collaborative growth across the ecosystem.

On the AO mint site, you can customize your rewards by adjusting the mix of PI, AO, and/or AR you earn, as well as selecting specific tokens from participating permaweb projects. These preferences will take effect on March 14th; until then, rewards will be issued in AO tokens.

The following projects are participating in the first fair launch, with more details on how to participate coming soon.

AO mainnet is live, introducing AO-Core, a tradeable AO token, and the Permaweb Index (PI) among many more updates. AO-Core embeds blockchain-style verifiability into the internet’s transport layer, enabling scalable decentralized computation. The AO token, launched through a fair launch distribution, is now tradeable, rewarding ecosystem participation.

PI offers a new funding model, providing exposure to AR, AO, and fair-launch project tokens, fostering collaboration across the permaweb. Several projects are already leveraging AO's fair launch model for decentralized marketplaces, AI, and permanent cloud infrastructure.

AO mainnet is a major step toward a more scalable, verifiable, and decentralized web. Learn more about the next steps for AO development in this article. Stay updated by following AO on X.

ao

@aoTheComputer

AO mainnet: LIVE

The dynamic permaweb, powered by AO and Arweave, is here to reshape the internet.

Join us: discord.com/invite/M2FcKZR…

Learn more: ao.arweave.net

Start building: cookbook_ao.g8way.io

612

12:20 AM • Feb 9, 2025

This is not financial advice. Please do your own research.

U.S. markets, however, didn’t seem to celebrate the news.

This release comes just days after the announcement of the Stargate Project, a massive initiative to invest $500 billion over four years in building AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the U.S. Stargate is a collaboration between OpenAI, NVIDIA, Oracle, and Microsoft, aiming to “build and develop AI—and in particular AGI —for the benefit of all humanity.”

But what does AGI that “benefits all humanity” look like, and who gets to decide? The tech world is experiencing a major "vibe" shift which will have an affect on how AI is developed and governed.

Over the past decade, social media companies have wrestled with challenges like misinformation and hate speech, often resorting to heavy-handed censorship. Google’s early motto, “Don’t be evil,” is difficult to enforce when their products touch billions of lives daily. The Twitter Files revealed how some of these decisions were influenced, if not pressured, by the three-letter agencies.

This year, we’ve witnessed a significant shift in how platforms are governed. Elon’s approach to governing X and Zuck’s pivot at Meta both illustrate a move away from censorship-heavy policies. With record-low trust in corporate media, people are increasingly turning to independent platforms like Substack, as well as podcasts and social media, for information.

This shift signals a broader societal reaction. It’s no longer “cool” to be woke. When one side of the political spectrum pushes too far, the masses tend to swing back toward the center. Silicon Valley, once the epicenter of the woke movement, now seems to be pivoting to free speech absolutism. Many founders will follow the tide, chasing the money, until the pendulum inevitably swings back. My concern is how AI could amplify these cultural shifts in extreme and destabilizing ways.

Instead of relying on a single person or corporation to “not be evil,” I’d prefer an AI system that can’t be evil at the infrastructure level. This means building AI on decentralized protocols that are transparent and censorship-resistant.

ao

@aoTheComputer

Google used to say "Don't be evil."

On the permaweb, we can't be evil.

1,167

7:02 PM • Jul 8, 2024

It's become a meme to ask Chinese apps about Tiananmen Square in 1989, only to receive the same state-approved answers. While DeepSeek’s R1 model is technologically innovative, it represents a censored view of the world.

The same can be said about ClosedAI (OpenAI). A closed-source AGI from a company like OpenAI, trained on data curated by select Silicon Valley elites, will not be universally welcomed just as much as ChatCCP (Deepseek). Both the ClosedAI and ChatCCP models have questionable data training that become consequential when we rely on AI "agents" to make decisions on our behalf.

Beyond the infrastructure and training, as AI agents become integral to our daily lives, economic questions arise about how they’ll operate. Governments may push Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) as the default transaction mechanism for AI systems. AI tied to CBDCs creates a system ripe for censorship and even potentially debanking users who don't comply.

Open-sourced AI models on crypto rails that support cryptocurrencies (over CBDCs) help ensure an AI system that “can’t be evil,” rather than relying on governments or corporations to “not be evil.”

DeepSeek’s R1 demonstrates that AI doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive or exclusive. Meta’s Llama LLM is another open-source model that performs at a very high level. If AI continues moving in the open-source direction, with decreasing development costs, models may become commodities.

Some even speculate that this is why Apple has stayed out of the model race.

signüll

@signulll

if you’re an apple exec walking into the office this morning, you’re grinning ear to ear.

EAR TO EAR.

6,363

3:44 PM • Jan 27, 2025

If this prediction holds, commoditized models could lead to a more diverse AI ecosystem instead of a single “God” model operated by one company.

I predict the future of AI will involve:

• Small, task-specific models tailored for particular use cases.

• Commoditized LLMs accessible to everyone and can be interchanged.

• AgentFi: Onchain plug and play agent economy.

The race is on for AI supremacy. DeepSeek’s R1 feels like a “Sputnik moment” for U.S. AI companies. Investors are now questioning the value of different components of AI development.

The combination of closed and potentially censored AI and CBDCs foretells a dystopian future I’d rather not experience.

Instead, I support AI that is developed and operates transparently on decentralized protocols. AI being built on AO is a promising example of this. Learn more about how AO supports AI onchain below.

ao

@aoTheComputer

Flagship open source LLMs.
100% onchain.

AI on AO is here.

744

6:04 PM • Jun 20, 2024

With AO mainnet launching on February 8, I’m excited to see its progress. Follow AO on X to stay up to date on developments and mainnet launch. This is not financial advice. Please do your own research.

Header image by ANTIPOLYGON YOUTUBE on Unsplash

This guide explains why messages on AO differ from other blockchains and how AO’s unique approach to parallel execution unlocks unmatched scalability and efficiency.

Many blockchains use shared memory, where all smart contracts access the same memory space. This design allows contracts to read and write data directly, making certain operations simpler. However, it introduces a significant limitation: lock contention.

Lock contention happens when multiple users try to access and modify the same data simultaneously. To avoid conflicts, processes must take turns. For example:

• Alice locks the data, makes her changes, and unlocks it.

• Only then can Bob access and modify the data.

While this system works well at smaller scales, it becomes a bottleneck as network usage grows.

AO uses a fundamentally different approach. Instead of relying on shared memory, smart contracts on AO operate as independent, asynchronous processes.

• Each contract runs independently and communicates with others by sending messages.

• These messages are stored permanently and verifiably on Arweave, ensuring security and transparency.

This design removes the need for a global memory space where processes compete for access, effectively eliminating lock contention.

To help visualize this system, the diagram below illustrates how messages flow through units on the network.

These units form the foundation of AO and collectively operate the AO Operating System (aos). Without diving too deep into the technical side, here’s a high-level overview of the three unit types:

• Messager Unit (MU): Acts as the entry point, receiving external messages, managing communication between processes, and forwarding messages to the Scheduler Unit (SU).

• Scheduler Unit (SU): Ensures messages are properly sequenced and stored on Arweave for consistent replay and verification.

• Compute Unit (CU): Handles the heavy lifting by performing computations, managing memory, and returning results to the MU for further processing.

These units can exist in multiples across the network, working together to run aos efficiently and securely.

Each AO process operates on the speed of a single CPU thread. When a process becomes too busy, it can split into multiple processes to handle the workload, a method called horizontal scaling.

For example, users familiar with Bazar know it runs on the Universal Content Marketplace (UCM) protocol. During the AO testnet, the UCM process experienced high traffic, which occasionally slowed performance. To solve this, UCM is being horizontally scaled into sub-orderbooks, meaning every atomic asset listed for sale will have its own UCM process.

This scalability allows AO to handle increased traffic and complexity without slowing down.

The main trade-off of message passing is the lack of instantaneous access to shared global memory. Instead, processes must “ask” for information by sending and receiving messages from other processes.

While this introduces additional complexity, AO developers have worked hard to make these interactions efficient and seamless. A major focus during the AO testnet phase has been improving infrastructure and the developer experience. These advancements have enabled consumer app developers to enhance the user experience of their applications. You can explore the rapidly growing permaweb ecosystem here.

As we continue developing Bazar and other user-facing applications, we aim to make the user experience as seamless as possible. This involves what I like to call as “hiding the wires” so users can enjoy the platform without unnecessary friction.

AO’s approach to message passing eliminates the bottlenecks of shared memory systems. Instead of competing for access to a single thread of execution, processes communicate asynchronously and in parallel.

If this all sounds complex, you’re not alone, and frankly these are technical intricacies most users don’t care about as long as the system works and remains decentralized. That’s why it’s essential to continue abstracting away the complexities and building platforms that are both user-friendly but not compromising on decentralization.

This post was inspired by the below tweet from Sam Williams, the founder of Arweave/AO.

🐘🔗 sam.arweave.dev

@samecwilliams

The answer to OP below is: Far, far, far more.

Why? Messages.

I have huge respect for the engineering of Solana. The design is generally underrated by non-devs. Let's explore the differences and trade-offs with @aoTheComputer in-depth.

A Primer: WTF is message passing? …

AI Agents XSpaces

@AiAgentSpaces

Can AO do the same TPS as Solana ?

186

1:56 AM • Apr 27, 2024

AO Mainnet is officially launching on February 8th! This marks a significant milestone for the project. The journey began on February 27, 2024, with the launch of AO Testnet, designed for developers and early adopters to explore the hyper-parallel computer.

Stay updated on all things AO by following AO on X. If you’re curious to learn more about AO and the permaweb, I recommend these two introductory videos that explain the concepts and vision behind AO.

ao

@aoTheComputer

The hyper parallel computer launches right now.

1,615

7:30 PM • Feb 27, 2024

ao

@aoTheComputer

7 million new users.

Autonomous AI agents.

A composable content economy.

The Permaweb is here.

3,350

6:03 PM • Jun 6, 2024

Header image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

• Botega surpasses $1M monthly volume: In its first month, Botega achieved over $1M in monthly DeFi trading, driven by autonomous financial agents.

• Dumdumz NFTs trading for 30+ wAR: The popular NFT collection on AO has seen renewed interest, with floor prices climbing to 38 wAR after the announcement of the Dumverse AO game.

• StarGrid Battle Tactics teases game art: Crypto games often promise a lot but deliver little. As a pro gamer and crypto enthusiast, David Kong is determined to change the stigma and create “a crypto game that doesn’t suck!”

For daily updates on Arweave, check out Arweavehub Today.

Bazar usage spikes

Activity on Bazar has been climbing, driven by the increased trading in collections like Dumdumz, Meka Humans, and AO Hood Rats as well as key UX updates with Vouch and Stamps.The anticipation for AO mainnet is also creating excitement throughout the AO consumer app ecosystem! Check out this dope hype video for mainnet.

ao

@aoTheComputer

Bitcoin started a revolution, AO continues that legacy.

AO mainnet. February 8, 2025. The countdown begins.

751

10:00 AM • Dec 12, 2024

Pixl trading gains traction

The Bazar (UCM) rewards token, Pixl, is seeing increased activity as wAR/Pixl trading pools are now live on Botega and Permaswap. This token is rewarded to Vouched users that maintain a daily buying streak on Bazar. Learn more about Pixl here. NFA

New collection dropping soon

AO Hood Rats creator, Eltio, is gearing up to release the Goddesses collection created with the popular HashLips Art Creator Studio.

ElTío

@TRue_JDHarmony

Are we ready for the @HoodRatNFTs Goddesses on @OurBazAR? Because my precious ones are almost ready!

#Arweave #BazAR #DigitalCollectables

23

11:56 PM • Dec 18, 2024

Blog

• A Brief History of Memecoins: Their Past and Future

Memecoins are having a moment in AO, and this post gave me some context on the history of memes, memecoins and their potential future trajectories. While many criticize memecoins as apart of the "casino" side of crypto, there can actually be benefits to building a well-rounded online community. An insightful tweet from Arweave/AO founder Sam also adds depth to the discussion on memecoins.

🐘🔗 sam.arweave.dev

@samecwilliams

I think memecoins are a good thing for crypto. It's not why I build decentralized technologies, but I think the trend is healthy.

It seems obvious that there is PMF for people trading on memetic prominence. This already happened in traditional finance (forms of money, certain…

80

11:10 AM • Dec 7, 2024

Book

• Notes from Underground - Fyodor Dostoevsky

"Shall the world go to hell, or shall I not have my tea? I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea."

This book has me reflecting on the rational and irrational nature of humans. We often do inexplicable things, and sometimes there’s no clear reason why, hence memecoins. Overall, it’s a reminder to stay grounded and always enjoy your tea, even when the world seems to have gone crazy.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and happy holidays!

-Alex

Header image by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

Vouch generates a “humanity score” by analyzing key data points from both Web3 and Web2, ensuring users are verified as real people. If you’re new to Vouch, check out my in-depth guide to learn how to vouch your Arweave wallet.

Once users are verified, a second layer is needed to reward meaningful participation. This is where Stamps, an open protocol for permaweb interactions, comes into play. Stamps act as a universal “like” button while also rewarding creators and sponsors through a tokenized system.

The Stamp protocol is a tool for providing feedback to permaweb content creators. Think of it as the “like” button for permaweb applications. When you “stamp” content, you signal appreciation and engagement, which benefits both creators and sponsors by rewarding them with $STAMP tokens.

A key advantage of Stamps is interoperability. Unlike Web2 likes, which are siloed to specific platforms, Stamps are composable across applications. Every stamped interaction is recorded as a signed transaction on Arweave, creating a shared social graph. This allows developers to integrate Stamps into new social applications, instantly leveraging existing user data and social engagement.

Stamping content is simple and works across supported applications. Here’s how:

1. Find Stamp-enabled content: Look for assets uploaded to platforms like Bazar that support Stamps.

2. Use your wallet: You’ll need an Arweave wallet connected to your profile to interact with the Stamp Protocol.

3. Stamp the content: Click the Stamp button to show your support. Each stamp contributes to the creator’s $STAMP rewards, which are earned daily.

When an atomic asset is uploaded to Arweave, a Stamp contract is attached when a user stamps the asset. This contract becomes a token permanently linked to the data. By adding this contract, creators invite sponsors to support their content and receive $STAMP in return.

Please note: Stamps on AO are experimental and will undergo changes as the protocol evolves.

The $STAMP token powers the Stamps protocol, creating a sustainable ecosystem for creators and sponsors. When users stamp content, the protocol distributes $STAMP tokens to creators and their sponsors daily. The more stamps a piece of content receives, the higher the rewards.

For example, on Bazar, a creator can upload their digital artwork as an atomic asset, and any user can “stamp” it. As more people stamp the content, the creator and sponsors receive more $STAMP tokens.

• Learn more about $STAMP tokenomics

• View your $STAMP holdings

Vouch and Stamps represent early steps toward creating a decentralized reputation system. These tools enable verification of users and incentivize quality content curation without relying on closed-source recommendation algorithms. At Bazar, we strive to avoid acting as the arbiter of truth and quality. Instead, systems like Vouch and Stamps offer decentralized, community-driven solutions.

As the permaweb evolves and user experiences diversify, I expect Vouch and Stamps to improve further, adapting to serve different applications. While still experimental, these systems are foundational to building the permaweb social media ecosystem.

• Vouch your wallet here

• Start stamping your favorite content on Bazar

Key Details

• Vouch Points required: 2 points

• When Vouch is needed: Only for building a PIXL streak

• Non-Vouched wallets: Can still upload and trade on UCM

To earn $PIXL reward tokens, users now need a vouched wallet. $PIXL tokens are earned by maintaining a buying streak on the UCM (Universal Content Marketplace). Each day a streak is maintained, $PIXL tokens are sent to your profile.

Note: $PIXL is a rewards token and does not necessarily have financial value. Learn more about $PIXL here.

Users can still use the UCM for:

• Uploading atomic assets via Helix

• Buying and selling assets on Bazar

Vouch is an open-source reputation system built on AO that generates a “humanity score” for each user by analyzing key data points. This score incorporates:

• AO ecosystem data

• Ethereum blockchain activity

• Web2 social presence

Benefits of Vouch

• Verifies genuine users for enhanced security and better experiences.

• Enables features like prioritized rewards for high scores.

• Encourages positive user behavior and promotes a healthier ecosystem.

Bazar, Llama Land, and Permaverse currently use vouch scores for eligibility checks. Any permaweb app can integrate Vouch using the developer docs.

1. Vouch X

   Verify your identity via Twitter/X. Points are awarded based on account criteria like registration date and usage. Each Twitter account can only be used once.

2. Vouch Gitcoin Passport

   The Gitcoin Passport aggregates blockchain activity, social profiles, and KYC services into a humanity score.

3. Vouch AO balance

   AR holders and bridgers of stETH and DAI have been accumulating AO tokens since early 2024. This balance can vouch wallets until AO becomes tradable (~Feb 2025). See your AO balance here.

4. Stake wAR

   Make up the last few points by staking wAR to earn points based on the amount of wAR and staking duration. Tokens are securely stored in a custody contract and can be withdrawn after the lock period.

This integration improves platform performance and enhances the user experience for genuine Bazar users. Since Bazar and AO are still on testnet, expect more updates as we refine these features. If you have questions or need help with Bazar or Vouch, join the Bazar micro-community in the Weavers Discord to connect with the creative community and receive technical support.

Get vouched today and start building your $PIXL streak!

The Weaver’s PermaHacks hackathon concluded last week, showcasing impressive builds like payment systems, AO web analytics, AI code completers, and innovative Bazar collections that tell a story.

Weavers

@Weavers_Org

PERMAHACKS 2024 WINNERS

PermaHacks 2024 proved that the rule breakers, risk takers, and idea makers in the @ArweaveEco are not here to play.

Without further ado - we present

The Winning Projects!

28

5:51 AM • Nov 11, 2024

Many hackers are continuing their projects in the Arweave Fullstack Hack, competing for over $50k in bounties. The Fullstack Hack runs until Nov 25th! More details here.

The founders of the DumDumz NFT collection have created an auction house tool that allows DumDumz holders to list and bid on their favorite assets. This opens up more opportunities for people to become part of the DumDumz community.

Holders of these assets gain access to exclusive experiences like the Dumverse game. Currently, the AOAuction House is limited to DumDumz assets, but the team plans to expand it to enable listing and bidding for any assets on Bazar.

CryptoChèrie

@Crypto_Cherie

DumDumz is excited to announce...

The AOction House on @aoTheComputer!

Our first listings drop with some rare DumDumz, including one with a gold pistol!

Next up to be listed: the highly anticipated 1/1's, with their exclusive Dumverse features!

Happy…

41

2:48 PM • Nov 6, 2024

Autonomous Finance has released a suite of DeFi apps focused on autonomous agents. These fully onchain and decentralized financial agents can exchange assets autonomously, representing the future of DeFi. You can create financial agents to start trading the first Botega meme coin, $AGENT.

Autonomous Finance

@autonomous_af

The age of AgentFi begins now. Introducing Botega, the first Autonomous Agent-first DEX on @aoTheComputer

Advanced order types, redefined.

Autonomous agents, unleashed.

1,300

8:52 AM • Nov 5, 2024

For more daily news and updates, visit Arweavehub Today.

• Builder Interest is up in 2024: A16z Crypto’s State of Crypto 2024 and Builder Energy report highlights that Arweave makes up 0.9% of total blockchain builder interest, putting it ahead of competitors like Filecoin (0.6%) and ICP (0.5%).

• 10 Billion Transactions Last Wednesday, Arweave hit a milestone of 10 billion transactions, averaging around 350 transactions per second.

• Print to Arweave The latest Arconnect wallet update makes it easy to save web pages to Arweave with just a few clicks. I tested this tool by archiving the A16z Crypto report permanently on Arweave.

• PermaHacks 2024 Weavers is hosting a two-week hackathon with $22,500 in bounties. Our team is contributing a $3,000 creative bounty for Bazar, encouraging unique creations on Bazar.

For daily updates on Arweave, check out Arweavehub Today.

Llamaland is a 2D world powered by fully onchain AI and is part of an open-source protocol called Reality. In this decentralized environment, anyone can create autonomous agents or even new worlds, using the capabilities of AO and Arweave.

🐘🔗 sam.arweave.dev

@samecwilliams

Agents emerging permissionlessly in @LlamaLandAO on @aoTheComputer and @ArweaveEco

txohyeah

@txohyeah

Quick look! The first company in Llama Land, Llama Media, is now open for business. Advertisers can approach the Llama Media NPC to place ads (currently supporting up to 2 ad campaigns simultaneously), while citizens can visit Media Workers to earn Llama coins. @LlamaLandAO

82

1:13 AM • Oct 21, 2024

AI on AO is here and Llamaland is showcasing how anyone can permissionlessly deploy AI agents into the Reality game. This is possible due to AO’s modular architecture, which enables users to build numerous parallel processes, a flexibility other decentralized computation models often lack. Read more about AO here.

And check out the new Llamaland mini-game, created by a community member, that will be live on October 28th:

Llama Land 🦙🎮

@LlamaLandAO

Llama Citizens, get ready for a mystery!

On Monday Oct 28, step into a new Llama Land mini game experience by @DivyanshGoel_17.

Solve 8 mini puzzles to piece together a wallet seed phrase.

The first person to have the entire seed phrase can claim the grand prize!

34

5:00 PM • Oct 24, 2024

Weavers

@Weavers_Org

@OurBazAR BOUNTY IS LIVE!

CALLING ALL CREATIVES! You didn't think we would leave you out, would you?

@OurBazAR is offering you $3000 to "Create an Atomic Asset Collection with a Custom Lore/World"

More details: weaversofficial.com/partners/bazar
Apply to create:…

23

5:01 PM • Oct 23, 2024

With two weeks of hacking underway, projects span from AO dApps, to custom permapages and unique collections. I can't wait to see what comes out of this event!

Dive more into the AO ecosystem:

Exploring the AO ecosystem

Exploring the latest consumers apps on AO, from metaverses and games to decentralized marketplaces and DeFi tools.

https://paragraph.xyz

AO meme coins

Discover the meme coins in the AO testnet. Explore tokens like $TRUNK, $LLAMA & more shaping the decentralized compute network built on Arweave.

https://paragraph.xyz

Documentary:

• 100 Years of Bauhaus | DW Documentary

While searching for DIY bookshelf inspiration, I stumbled into the world of Bauhaus and its impact on modern design. This DW documentary covers Bauhaus’ influence on product, architectural, and tech design.

Book:

• The Trial by Franz Kafka

“Logic may indeed be unshakeable, but it cannot withstand a man determined to live.”

Reflecting on my deepdive into Bauhaus and that quote from The Trial, I see how Bauhaus taken to extremes can feel cold or dehumanizing, Soviet-era architecture especially comes to mind. As society moves deeper into cyberspace with the emergence of AI, it’s essential we continue to prioritize the beauty of humanity. Building a freer, fairer web is something I’m passionate about because people, even with all of our quirks and flaws, must remain central to our online world, not dictated by a few large tech companies.

And for those of us who spend much of our time in cyberspace, remember to touch grass this weekend. Your mind and body will thank you.

Have a great weekend!

-Alex

AO is a decentralized computing system built around the actor-oriented model. It enables multiple parallel processes without the limitations of traditional decentralized models. AO is built in modular form, allowing for seamless integration with existing smart contract platforms and customizable computational resources, virtual machines, security, and payment methods. Think of Arweave as the decentralized hard drive and AO as the CPU or GPU running multiple processes in parallel.

ao's core objective is to enable trustless and cooperating compute services without any practical bounds on scale. This allows for a radically new design space of applications that were not previously possible: Blending the benefits of smart contract applications (services without requiring trust in anything but code), and traditional compute environments (Amazon EC2, etc).

- The AO Protocol: A Decentralized Open-Access Supercomputer, DRAFT-9, Sep 5, 2024.

The early consumer apps on the AO testnet range from metaverses and content marketplaces to DeFi tools, with many more in development. Below are a few apps that are available for use today.

Permaverse

A 3D world built with Unity, running on AO and stored on Arweave. Players explore as elephant characters named Dumdum. With a recent update, if players own “The Gun” atomic asset in Bazar, the in-game character gets a gun. Own more shares, get a bigger gun!

Permaverse 🐘🔗

@ThePermaverse

Today’s the day!

Introducing THE GUN —the first Permaverse Atomic Asset, available in 1,000 shares!

This asset comes with a unique feature: More is Bigger. The more shares you own, the bigger your gun will appear in the Permaverse. Who will claim the largest one?…

55

8:44 PM • Aug 30, 2024

Llamaland

A fun 2D world featuring a fully functioning LLM running onchain. Users can interact with the Llama King for $Llama coins. Llamaland highlights the potential for onchain LLMs. It’s built on the open-source Reality Protocol, which allows anyone to create their own worlds.

Llama Land 🦙🎮

@LlamaLandAO

𝔚𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔩𝔞𝔪𝔞 𝔏𝔞𝔫𝔡
______________
waitlist is now open
llamaland.g8way.io/#/
___________________

153

4:58 PM • Jun 24, 2024

Aqualandia

Another world built on Reality Protocol, Aqualandia is a 2D world that can be accessed through Llamaland and other Reality Protocol worlds. Aqualandia even has a really fun in-game fishing feature that uses $Llama as a currency for a chance to reel in rare collectable fish.

Satoshi's Palace

@SatoshisPalaceX

Big things are happening! We are expanding to @aoTheComputer, built on Arweave, and something special is on the horizon. Get ready to dive into an epic fishing adventure where you can reel in more than just fish... Stay tuned! #GameFi #FishingGame #Arweave #AO…

57

10:59 PM • Aug 15, 2024

Cyber Beavers

A battle survival game built on AO and stored on Arweave. It’s fast-paced and offers token rewards for players. For now, live gameplay happens during scheduled sessions. Follow AO Builders on X to stay up to date on live gameplays.👇

ao Builders

@ao_builders

Plan for this week is simple:
1. Build on @aoTheComputer
2. Play CyberBeavers with Gamers (Thursday & Friday, 13.00 & 14.00 UTC)
3. Dev Oracles
4. Prep podcasts
5. Stay social and in touch with @ArweaveEco & ...

22

3:13 PM • Sep 24, 2024

Bazar

Bazar is a decentralized digital content marketplace running on AO and Arweave, built on the Universal Content Marketplace (UCM) protocol. Many apps in this post integrate Bazar’s atomic assets into their platforms, providing the financial infrastructure for content creators on the permaweb.

Bazar

@OurBazAR

Trade digital content on the permaweb with BazAR, powered by @aoTheComputer.

99

3:43 PM • Jun 17, 2024

Helix

A content-uploading tool and creator hub for the permaweb. Users can upload digital content to Arweave and sell it on Bazar or use it in other apps.

Bazar

@OurBazAR

Helix is the Arweave creator hub where artists can upload digital content to the permaweb in just a few steps.

Check out this new tutorial on how to create atomic assets on Helix and list them for sale on Bazar
youtu.be/bhLlFepA7LU?si…

28

3:30 PM • Oct 9, 2024

Atomic Notes

A markdown editor that stores all notes as atomic assets on Arweave. Notes can be created and traded on Bazar.

🐘🔗 ar://tomo

@0xTomo

Introducing Atomic Note (alpha)

An Editable PermaNote as an Atomic Asset on @aoTheComputer

- Semantic version control with diff-match-patch
- Universal Data License #UDL
- Compatible with AO Profiles @OurBazAR
- Multiple editors

Create Atomic Notes
arweave.net/hYEq3SP_HT9Q7C…

67

8:33 AM • Aug 4, 2024

Dumdumz

These collectible elephants were among the first Bazar collections and quickly became a community favorite. The Dumdumz team is now working on an interactive game called the Dumverse, which I’m looking forward to trying out.

DumDumz

@dumdumznfts

Wat Dis?!? 50 of meez is now on @OurBazAR! We continuez loonngg work to upload us on BazAR. We so excited to be on @aoTheComputer and see our faces everywhere! Time to get somez Joose and lolli's! #NFT

57

11:49 PM • Jul 23, 2024

Meka Humans

Another early collection on Bazar. This collection, from permaweb artist @Aightek, features futuristic PFPs that grant owners access to Meka City, built on Reality Protocol.

Meka Human

@Meka_Human

# > SYSTEM ONLINE
# > WELCOME TO MEKA CITY
# > POPULATION: 494

The gates to Meka City are OPEN! Dive into our futuristic world, explore, and start earning Cyber $Kredit today.

Enter the City: mekahuman.ar.io

You need a citizenship to enter!!

19

8:30 PM • Sep 2, 2024

Wrapped AR Depot (wAR Depot)

A simple app for bridging tokens from Ethereum to AO. Users can bridge ETH or USDC and start exploring permaweb applications.

Bazar

@OurBazAR

Have you tried wAR Depot?

Swap USDC or ETH for wrapped AR and kickstart your permaweb journey in just a few steps.

12

4:03 PM • Sep 17, 2024

AOX

An AR-to-AO bridge that turns AR tokens into Wrapped AR, powered by EverPay.

AOX

@aox_xyz

1/3 AOX - The Bridge to AO

We're thrilled to launch the first bridge connecting @aoTheComputer to the multichain world!

Our mission? To make it the gateway for assets moving in and out of the AO ecosystem!

78

5:09 PM • Apr 22, 2024

For a full ecosystem overview, checkout this in depth AO ecosystem list created by EverPay.👇

everPay 🐘

@everpay_io

AO Ecosystem Overview

The @aoTheComputer ecosystem is really booming, with around 40 new projects popping up in the last 100 days.

Check out the updated ecosystem map and see what’s new!

everPay 🐘

@everpay_io

As of September 14th, it's been exactly 200 days since AO's launch.

The AO ecosystem is growing at a visibly rapid pace!

99

1:33 PM • Sep 26, 2024

The permaweb is still early. These applications are experimental and currently in testnet, but the excitement has been building since AO’s launch. This overview reflects my personal experience using permaweb applications but there are many more in development.

With the AO community evolving rapidly, I’ll continue sharing updates as I dive deeper into the ecosystem. If you’re a developer or user exploring this space, I’d love to hear about your experiences or answer any questions - reach out or subscribe to stay connected!

If you’re receiving this post via email, you’re one of the few subscribers from Mirror. I hope you stick around, but if you’d like to unsubscribe, you can do so at the end of this email.

This space will now serve as a home for my half-baked personal thoughts on crypto, digital media, and culture. You can expect a mix of long-form pieces and shorter newsletter-style updates as I experiment with different formats. Since this is an evolving process, feedback is always welcome. Let’s see where this goes.

Bazar on AO:

• In June, Bazar marketplace migrated onto AO, bringing faster speeds and greater efficiency. This integration connects Bazar with the rapidly growing AO ecosystem, a major technical step forward for our platform.

Dumdumz on Bazar:

• In July, the Arweave/AO community embraced Dumdumz, adorable elephant PFPs hosted on Bazar. Builders and creatives across the ecosystem quickly adopted them as profile pictures, creating a wave of enthusiasm in the community.

Omega Dumdum Quest:

• In collaboration with AO, we launched the Omega Dumdum Quest. This quest introduces users to the AO ecosystem, guiding them through how to obtain wrapped AR ($wAR) and how to bridge $DAI into the AO pre-bridge.

Podcast:

• Lex Fridman Podcast #443 - Gregory Aldrete: The Roman Empire

Book:

• Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

- Nagasawa, Norwegian Wood, p. 38

Blogs:

• File over app: I’ve been exploring the idea of “file over app,” which is a core principle for the Obsidian platform. Obsidian offers flexibility and control in my note taking, that I really appreciate.

• Careful Technology: This post is a thoughtful reminder that while technology can do more with less, we must be mindful of what we sacrifice in the process with careless tools and gadgets.

Lately, I've been trying to find more time to get outside and explore with photography. I will be sharing some of this journey on Instagram and Bazar. Here’s a photo I took of a rider taking a break on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Hamburg.

Watching that peaceful scene reignited my childhood desire to own a motorcycle one day. Until then, I'll always stop to admire one and dream.

I look forward to continuing to write and share thoughts and insights here. Thanks for reading.

- Alex

I’ve uploaded two collections to the new Bazar powered by AO that capture the medieval old town and the heavily graffitied yet unique “Viertel” neighborhood.

Bremen Old Town includes 8 images. Each image has 100 fractionalized shares that are listed for 0.002 wrapped AR each. Wrapped AR can be obtained by bridging AR to AO here.

Graffiti Art includes 9 images taken in the Bremen “Viertel” neighborhood. Each image has 100 fractionalized shares that are listed for 0.002 wrapped AR each. Wrapped AR can be obtained by bridging AR to AO here.

Bazar is a digital content marketplace powered by AO, with all data stored permanently on Arweave. Content on BazAR is uploaded as atomic assets, which are NFTs with both the content and metadata stored in a single transaction on Arweave.

Atomic assets can be any type of data, from images, audio, and video to full web applications. Learn more about how BazAR works in the video below.

BazAR Marketplace

@OurBazAR

Trade digital content on the permaweb with BazAR, powered by @aoTheComputer.

100

3:43 PM • Jun 17, 2024

Bazar on AO is still in an “early release” phase with updates in development. To learn more about BazAR checkout the updated learn pages. Follow @OurBazAR on X and join us in the Weaver's Discord to stay up to date with Bazar and the permaweb.

• https://mirror.xyz/afmedia.eth/dJM5X2Flj2gL29kuLZZXSh8hg3ZjmkpqeN0rSX2pgQA

• https://mirror.xyz/afmedia.eth/1aSiDSA9q4Sf6SL17ndrMukUOQd197umTBZtHrhKI1U

• https://mirror.xyz/jonnyringo.eth/O4brlNpgarwI8jn_e73pIFuUEdNCs7vs9l1vtcWWQLo

• https://mirror.xyz/0x1EE4bE8670E8Bd7E9E2E366F530467030BE4C840/-UWra0q0KWecSpgg2-c37dbZ0lnOMEScEEkabVm9qaQ

Disclaimer

The information presented in this post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as financial advice, and any decisions made based on the content are at the reader's own risk.

Originally published here.

1. UCM runs on AO: Transactions are fast and can run in parallel, with data still fully stored on Arweave.

2. BazAR profile agent: BazAR profiles are now more than just an Arweave wallet. Users have a smart agent process running on AO that serves as their profile.

3. Transact with wAR: Transacting in Wrapped AR offers an easy solution for the Arweave and AO community to collect and trade on BazAR. AR can be bridged to wAR with AOX.

BazAR Marketplace

@OurBazAR

BazAR is live on @aoTheComputer.

Join us here.
ao-bazar.arweave.dev/#/

98

7:00 PM • Jun 6, 2024

This launch of AO BazAR aligns with the release of the Permaweb 1.0 video (linked below). Key updates in the ecosystem include:

• Forward Research acquired Odysee: This acquisition will bring over 7 million users to Arweave.

• AgentFi is here: Autonomous trading and financial tools are being built on AO.

• Get funded to build on AO: $35 million in funding is available through AO Ventures.

ao

@aoTheComputer

7 million new users.

Autonomous AI agents.

A composable content economy.

The Permaweb is here.

3,424

6:03 PM • Jun 6, 2024

With the incoming influx of users, Bazar plays a key role in providing a trustless and open marketplace for trading content on the permaweb. The emergence of AgentFi that can be incorporated into BazAR profiles will also change how users transact on the permaweb.

BazAR is still in its "early" release, so expect new features and updates to be shipped soon. Our team is focusing on enhancing the user experience and improving the Universal Data License functionality for creators. Follow @OurBazAR on X and join us in the Weaver's Discord to stay up to date with BazAR and the permaweb.

• https://mirror.xyz/afmedia.eth/1aSiDSA9q4Sf6SL17ndrMukUOQd197umTBZtHrhKI1U

• https://mirror.xyz/afmedia.eth/IMzB8-PlmTeaquLLzGr1kSQ2EkPVROxgJ9yoo66qVQQ

• https://mirror.xyz/0x64eA438bd2784F2C52a9095Ec0F6158f847182d9/AjNBmiD4A4Sw-ouV9YtCO6RCq0uXXcGwVJMB5cdfbhE

Disclaimer

The information presented in this post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as financial advice, and any decisions made based on the content are at the reader's own risk

Originally published here.

Humans are not one dimensional. We have many interests, partake in numerous activities and belong to diverse social circles. Our online identity should reflect that. Instead, currently we must compartmentalize our online identity by joining different social networks for distinct purposes and none of these networks interact.

This is a common talking point in crypto to promote composable social platforms built on blockchain networks. I am a huge proponent of that but I can’t wait to see other non native social media applications connect in new ways. Imagine lifestyle applications offering specific utilities beyond social media as part of this social data lake.

I had these three, ironically orange tabs open together the other day. BazAR to look at digital art on Arweave, Babbel to review my German vocab, and Strava to check my stats from my last run.

While each of these applications serves unique purposes, they share one similarity. They are networks of individuals passionate about specific topics, whether it's creativity, learning, or maintaining an active lifestyle. The issue is that they could never connect. I am sure there are artists who like to exercise, or runners who are also learning a second language.

Humans aren’t one dimensional. We should build a network that supports integrations with applications that aren’t social media first but are still robust data sources.

This could potentially create a more positive online environment, as people may discover shared interests with others. You might find yourself disagreeing with someone's political views, but upon realizing that you both share a passion for marathon training or have read the same books, you may reconsider your initial impression of them. Recognizing commonalities could lead to a more empathetic and understanding online community.

We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.

- Seneca

The vision for a composable permaweb is coming to life on Arweave. We are seeing interconnected applications using atomic assets built on protocols and frameworks like UCM and UDL, making the permaweb fairer and more accessible for everyone. The recent AO testnet release, will further streamline this process and bring more people and applications onto the permweb.

The groundwork is being laid not only for composable social apps but also for lifestyle applications that extend beyond traditional social media to integrate seamlessly. This creates a more diverse social media environment that even promotes learning and leading healthy lifestyles. I’d like to see the permaweb evolve into the ultimate lifestyle network, that reflects the multidimensionality of human life.

Online platforms often use points and streaks to incentivize user actions and encourage continued engagement with the app. Permaweb apps could use points for similar purposes, such as fostering learning and promoting healthy lifestyles. Let's take a language learning app as an example. A teacher could create a language course as an atomic asset with UDL tags, requiring students to pay for access, a transaction facilitated through UCM.

The student completes the course, and obtains points for maintaining a learning streak as they progress. Inspired by their achievement, they decide to share their streak on social media, motivating fellow language learners to keep up their own streaks.

Upon successfully passing a test, the student automatically receives an award via a smart contract as an atomic asset, a tangible trophy to showcase their completion of the course. Simultaneously, the teacher earns points for each student who completes their course.

Meanwhile, the student continues to accumulate points through their running app, building a streak for their tracked runs. They participate in a marathon and earn an atomic asset trophy as recognition for their accomplishment.

Unlike points awarded for meaningless tasks, these systems, if designed thoughtfully, could genuinely incentivize individuals to explore new activities and adopt healthier lifestyles.

Currently crypto is often compared to a casino, but lifestyle applications on the permaweb, when built with the right incentives, have the potential to be both fun and impactful.

Originally published here.

In this post, I'll detail the latest UDL updates and provide a practical guide on utilizing UDL with Helix and BazAR.

UDL allows creators to establish their own terms for content usage on Arweave, while developers can permissionlessly license this data within their applications.

UDL tags are programmable. Creators can attach UDL tags to their content metadata to define license terms. This framework also provides developers with clear guidelines on which data can be utilized and how it can be incorporated into their next permaweb apps. Read the full UDL here.

What changes with UDL v0.2?

UDL v0.2 introduces a new “AI” tag, enabling creators to license their work specifically for use in generative AI content creation. This tag represents a significant step forward in democratizing the web and granting creators control over the utilization of their data in the age of AI. Unlike in Web2 platforms, where users lack control over data usage by companies, creators now have the ability to opt in or out of allowing their content to be used for AI generation - eliminating instances like the recent Reddit news.

jaja©

@jajablinky

Own your digital property, so it’s your choice to sell or not.

All reddit users make zero off of this.

They just got farmed like they all npcs and reddit is the main character.

…

Dexerto

@Dexerto

Reddit has reportedly signed a $60M deal to sell user content to an AI company

Via Bloomberg

14

4:22 AM • Feb 20, 2024

Another change is the "pay per access" feature, allowing creators to monetize their content on a per-view basis, offering flexibility in content monetization strategies. While this feature has not yet been implemented in a permaweb app, it opens the doors for creating “pay-per-view”-style apps for content such as films and shows.

With the release of UDL v0.2, you now need a way to upload digital content to the permaweb. The Helix uploader offers an easy way to upload digital content as permanent atomic assets.

Atomic assets, unlike NFTs, are fully stored on Arweave, including the content and metadata. They can be anything from digital art, documents, videos, audio, to full applications.

1. Connect your wallet in Helix (using Arconnect or sign in with a Google account through Othent) and begin uploading files.

2. Choose between uploading a full collection or individual atomic assets.

3. Fill out the metadata and attach UDL tags to determine how your content will be licensed. Checkout the newly updated Helix docs for more info on UDL selections.

4. Fund your account with Turbo credits via the Turbo/Stripe integration, accessed in the top right corner of your Helix account.

5. Once uploaded, view your assets on BazAR, the first user interface for the Universal Content Marketplace (UCM).

Your atomic assets are now permanently stored on Arweave’s network and apart of the composable permaweb. You can trade these assets for $U on BazAR, or interact with them on other permaweb applications. For example, music uploaded to BazAR can be accessed on the permaweb's music platform, Arcadia, and vice versa.

You'll also notice, while browsing atomic assets on BazAR, that the UDL rights for each asset are displayed on the asset page. For instance, take a look at the screenshot below, showcasing the rights for Jonny Ringo’s Builder BLOX permaweb game.

If someone wishes to utilize the Builder BLOX game for commercial purposes, they would be required to pay a one-time fee of 15 $U directly to the creator (Jonny Ringo). This license fee can be conveniently paid within BazAR, ensuring a verifiable and permanent transaction on Arweave.

This is just one instance of how UDL can be applied. The permaweb is growing fast, so I look forward to seeing more unique ways creators and developers will someday use UDL.

If you have any questions or comments about using UDL tags with Helix or BazAR, feel free to message me on X.

And if you're a creator, developer, or crypto enthusiast looking to join the Arweave ecosystem, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Weavers is your best way to connect through hackathons, bounty competitions, and their quickly growing Discord community.

• https://mirror.xyz/afmedia.eth/1aSiDSA9q4Sf6SL17ndrMukUOQd197umTBZtHrhKI1U

• https://mirror.xyz/0x64eA438bd2784F2C52a9095Ec0F6158f847182d9/AjNBmiD4A4Sw-ouV9YtCO6RCq0uXXcGwVJMB5cdfbhE

• https://mirror.xyz/jonnyringo.eth/MGB99MmaiXkrAtYXjudRr3XdSdwki3zlwl9Xe2ZHA0Q

Disclaimer

The information presented in this post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as financial advice, and any decisions made based on the content are at the reader's own risk.

Originally published here.