AR.IO Migrates to AO: Enhancing Scalability and Decentralization for the Future

Introduction

Earlier this month, AR.IO announced its migration to AO, the supercomputer built on top of Arweave. This migration is now complete and represents a significant milestone in the evolution of the AR.IO Network, bringing enhanced scalability, efficiency, and decentralization.

Integrating Community Feedback

The migration provided an opportunity to incorporate valuable community feedback received over the past six months. This has led to several changes in the AR.IO Testnet.

AR.IO Testnet Contract on AO

The new AR.IO Testnet Process and Token ID on AO is agYcCFJtrMG6cqMuZfskIkFTGvUPddICmtQSBIoPdiA. The migration process included porting over the Gateway Address Registry, existing ArNS names, and ANTs, based on snapshots taken at specified blockheights.

Arweave Name System (ArNS)

The ArNS App is currently being fine-tuned to run on AO and remains locked for new writes and updates. All names were successfully migrated, but some problematic ANTs could not have their txID pointer settings carried over. Users are advised to check their ArNS names once the app is functional again.

Test IO Tokens

Test IO (tIO) tokens have been migrated to AO, and existing balances were reset. Users previously holding any tIO now have a balance of 750 tIO, with additional tokens for delegated stakers and gateway operators.

Observation and Incentive Protocol

The AR.IO Protocol balance has been reset to 50,000,000 test IO tokens. A new daily epoch duration has been implemented, with a reduced reward emissions rate to provide quicker feedback cycles and more opportunities for observer selection.

Gateway Operators

All active gateways and settings were migrated to AO. Gateway stakes have been reset, and operators need to update to the latest node software (Release 14) before the first epoch begins.

Other Notes

Currently, there is no faucet for testnet tokens for new node operators, and ArNS testing remains closed. The white paper will be updated to reflect these changes.

Final Thoughts

The migration to AO is a significant upgrade from SmartWeave, enhancing the AR.IO Network's efficiency and capabilities. The team is excited about the opportunities this unlocks for the community and ecosystem and encourages feedback through Discord or X.