Almost every blockchain project is labeled as decentralized. But the truth is: not everything that claims to be decentralized is actually decentralized.
Many systems are DINO (Decentralization In Name Only), which means decentralized in name only. They appear decentralized on the surface, but in reality they are still controlled by a few centralized entities. For example, some projects airdrop governance tokens to thousands of users to appear democratic, while the team actually retains the majority of tokens and control.
This distinction is important because decentralization is supposed to free us from single points of failure, censorship, and manipulation. DINO systems fail to deliver on that promise. They remain susceptible to the same old problems, just wrapped in a new package to inflate token prices.
AR.IO aims to be truly decentralized, free from external dependencies or single points of failure. We are not there yet, but we are on the right path. Our code is open source, resilient, and transparent. Many of our products exist independently and are fully functional even without our team. Our vision is a permanent cloud network: an internet that empowers everyone, rather than gatekeepers, middlemen, and large tech companies that extract high rents.
True Decentralization: Why AR.IO ?
The Internet we use today is held together by centralized systems. Just think about it: your data is stored on servers controlled by companies whose primary goal is to ensure their profits. That's why we see ads occupying our online space, important files disappearing after subscriptions expire, and applications disappearing due to the failure of a single provider.
Companies build moats around your data and rarely lower the drawbridge. Centralized systems are fragile, limiting, and often unfair. But they have been seen as the only option, until now.
AR.IO is committed to creating unrestricted and permanent data access. We have built better features based on Arweave's blockchain storage network:
- Permanent: Pay once for permanent storage. No subscription, no lock-in.
- Sovereignty: Data belongs to the user and cannot be deleted, reviewed or edited by anyone.
- Accessibility: Data stored on AR.IO is globally available, tamper-proof, and verifiable.
Most importantly, AR.IO solves the key problem of decentralized storage: accessibility. The blockchain and DePIN ecosystems attract a large number of miners or node operators. But there are often single points of failure hidden in the underlying infrastructure. Therefore, while the network looks strong, every operator in the network must trust a single supplier in the technology stack. This single point of failure goes against the original intention of decentralization.
Take Arweave, for example. In the early days, Arweave essentially had only one gateway: arweave.net . Miners stored and replicated Arweave's permanent data around the world, but there was only one way to access it. AR.IO was created to expand this single access point to a network of hundreds of globally distributed, independently operated gateways. This means you can always get your data on the permanent network in an efficient way.
As Arweave grows to over 1 billion transactions per month, decentralized access to these transactions is more important than ever.
In summary, the advantages of AR.IO are as follows:
- Decentralized Gateway: Gateway network ensures resilience and scalability.
- Incentivizing Participation: By tokenizing rewards, we are attracting new participants to grow and sustain the network.
- Open Source Infrastructure: AR.IO targets everyone from independent developers to enterprises and provides tools that are easy to adopt.
This isn’t just about storage—it’s about a better vision for the internet.
ArDrive: A truly decentralized dAPP
ArDrive, created by the AR.IO team, is another example of true decentralization. ArDrive is a Dropbox-like app that provides permanent, secure data storage for a one-time fee.
Users can also upload files to Arweave via ArDrive using our centralized bundler called Turbo. With Turbo, anyone can pay with a credit card to store their files forever.
Of course, ArDrive also offers direct-to-network bundling, which is completely autonomous and does not require credit card companies or any other services. This means that users can choose to upload files centrally using fiat currency, or use $AR for fully decentralized bundling uploads.
Farewell DINO
Decentralization is more than just a skin deep. It’s about creating systems that are truly free from centralized control. Let’s compare:
DINO
- Centralized control: controlled by a small number of validators, gateways, or companies.
- Single point of failure: A single bad actor, technical problem, or external pressure could disrupt the system.
- Susceptible to censorship: Governments or companies can still suppress or delete data.
- Form over substance: The emphasis is on selling the idea of decentralization, not on achieving it.
True decentralization
- Decentralized power: No single entity controls the entire system. Power is shared and open to all participants.
- Resilience: Designed to withstand attacks, failures, and external disruptions.
- Censorship-resistant: No matter what happens, data is immutable and accessible globally.
- Community-driven: Designed for open participation, transparency, and trust.
AR.IO doesn’t just claim to be decentralized, it embodies it. Through decentralized gateways, tokenized incentives, and open participation, we are creating a system that is both durable and extremely difficult to manipulate.
We are on track to realize this vision and have made great strides towards open access, interference resistance, and people-centricity.
