What is permanent data?

Within the ar.io network we are excited for builders to start building with permanent data.

However, there is often confusion by the term: permanent data.

We are all used to data that is not permanent. We have all lost data whether it has been on a USB, Hard Drive or within a cloud service. So what makes permanent data different than what has come before?

What does permanent data really mean? Data permanence means that the information stored on a blockchain — referred to as on-chain — will continue to exist just as it is, without any changes, continuously verified, and replicated.

This does not necessarily refer to the length of time — only the character of the data stored. The data will only be saved as long as the network that it is on is secure.

With that being said, the network that permanent data lives on has been designed to be extremely resilient so the data will remain unchanged and secure for long periods of time.

In this article we will take a deeper look at:

1. What is permanent data
2. Length of time permanent data will survive
3. Advantages of building with permanent data

What does permanence mean within blockchain data?

Permanence is a term that might sound complex, but it’s actually a simple concept, especially when we talk about it in the context of blockchain technology. Let’s break it down for a better understanding.

Firstly, permanence means something that doesn’t change (immutable) and can be verified and replicated. This is a key feature in blockchain technology, which is like a digital ledger or record-keeping system.

Imagine blockchain as a chain of blocks, where each block is like a digital box containing information. Once this box is filled with data and added to the chain, it can’t be changed or removed. It’s like writing something in pen in a notebook, where you can’t erase it.

This leads us to the idea of data permanence in blockchain. Data permanence means that the information stored on a blockchain — referred to as on-chain — will continue to exist just as it is, without any changes, for a very long time. It’s like storing a piece of information in a super secure digital vault that keeps it safe forever.

Why is this important? In today’s world, where we do so much online, having a place where information can be stored permanently and safely is really valuable. It’s especially important for things like financial records, legal documents, or even personal information. Think of it as a way to ensure that this data remains untouched and always available, just like a time capsule for digital information.

In summary, permanence in the context of blockchain means that data is permanently recorded on-chain and preserved in that state.

Permanent Data: on-chain, immutable, verified, replicated aka can never be deleted

So we’ve figured out how to make data permanent but how do we make sure it will be stored for long periods of time?

What does permanent data mean for the longevity of the data?

The longevity of the data is as important as anything — we don’t want a storage system that lasts for a few months, or even a few years. We have enough of those.

So what is the best way to keep permanent data stored for long periods of time?

The data will only last as long as the strength of the system that it is in and hardware it is on.

Here are some of the systems and hardware we have used up to this present time:

• Scrolls, paper, books, library
• CDs, tapes, DVDs, VCRs, Bluray
• USBs, Ram, Hard Drives
• Cloud storage, corporations, subscription payments

These have all had successes, pain points, and failures in passing data from one year to the next. As any archivist knows — the problem of long-term data storage and preservation is a difficult one to overcome.

So can permanent data be part of the solution for long-term data storage?

We think so. Here is why.

The permanent data which ar.io indexes and retrieves is built on the Arweave blockchain which is a decentralized network with a compelling incentive structure to keep it going.

In other words, there are thousands and thousands of different people storing the data and they have an ongoing monetary reward for doing so.

As expected the tech and economic model is robust and detailed and you can read a full explanation in the article “Can data really be stored forever”, but for now let’s go with the brief version.

Economic Model:

The economic model for storage on Arweave can best be described as, ‘pay a little now, save most for a rainy day’.

With each purchase of storage a little bit of it (16.67%) goes to fund the immediate storage.

But what about the future years?

The rest (83.33%) is put into an endowment as a rainy day fund if it is needed to cover future costs.

So, when will the endowment be used? Not anytime soon.

In fact, the economics work out that the size of the endowment right how has enough to pay the holders of the data for hundreds of years so they can cover their costs and make a profit.

As more data gets added to the Arweave network the size of the endowment keeps going up. The endowment provides a safety net payment for the data if storage prices go up. However, with falling storage price (as they almost always do) the endowment may never even be needed.

How do you know if it is going to be around in 200 years?

The promise of the Arweave network has been that storage will last for 200 years. Obviously, nobody knows what things are going to be like in 200 years — so how can this promise be made?

We can’t transport ourselves into the future to see what things are like. However, what we can do is model a large number of different scenarios and create systems that will account for these.

The models and the systems that have been created give confidence that the data will live on for long-periods of time.

Let’s compare some of the current systems to Arweave and see how they stack up.

Some of the other methods/systems that have been used for data storage:

• Paper — How many books, scrolls have been lost through the ages? Additionally, the sustainability of these is harder to preserve.
• USB — On average a USB lasts 3 to 5 years; Hard Drives last 5–7 years. how many times have these failed? How well does the average person do at monitoring the state of these storage devices?
• Cloud Storage — Cloud storage has seen tremendous use because of its utility. Even with this there are countless examples of lost data. Can a single corporation alone be trusted to store the data? What happens when you stop paying your monthly subscription?

All of these methods speak to the need for alternatives to help with long-term data storage.

What can we learn about how data is preserved on the Arweave network?

If all of the aforementioned methods and systems have their weaknesses how does Arweave compare in reliability for long-term preservation? With Arweave it is easy to check how any piece of data is doing.

Any transaction on the Arweave network can be checked based on the transaction ID. When we look up the transaction number we can see:

• What the actual data is (if it is public) and when it was uploaded to the blockchain
• Number of confirmations of existence since being uploaded
• Number of replications (how many copies of the set there are)
• What the Permanent URL is

Here is a random sample of data from five years ago:

• Transaction: Rv83XZ5msauTd1iHJUmegkv3MUhkk5UAaPvpURGa-Vo
• Date Uploaded: July 30, 2019
• Data saved: Article on USAID announcing $300 million in fight against tuberculosis
• Confirmations of this data: 1,084,990
• Replications: 15 +
• Permaweb URL: https://i37toxm6m2y2xe3xlcdsksm6qjf7omkimsjzkadi7puvcem27fna.arweave.net/Rv83XZ5msauTd1iHJUmegkv3MUhkk5UAaPvpURGa-Vo

So let’s take this transaction and compare it with the other methods of storage for the past five years and next five years to come in terms of reliability.

Comparison Chart of Data Storage Options

So comparing Permanent Data to a USB, Hard Drive or Cloud Account that you put on there 5 years ago, and looking at the next five years:

• What do we have more confidence 5 years from now, your USB or Arweave?
• Is your Hard Drive going to last another 10 years?
• Can we trust a single cloud company with all our data? What happens when you stop paying your monthly subscription? Is this a good method for passing on data to future generations? Cloud solutions are part of the solution, but what needs to enhance this?

As we have compared storage solutions it is telling that on-chain permanent blockchain data it should give us confidence that permanent on-chain data storage will be with us for not only the next five years but will, most likely, outlive us.

This is truly helping the problem of long-term data preservation.

Advantages of building with permanent data (ar.io)

At the ar.io network we are builders and support builders.

An often overlooked part of permanent data is the foundation it provides for building, and the new, unique, and powerful apps that will be built from it.

Here are some advantages that permanent data give when building:

1) Open Source, Permissionless, and Composable — open source data, and use it the way you see fit

2) No Silos of Data — No more building on 3rd party apps, and then have them change the terms, API or, worst, wall the app up without notice.

3) Self-sovereign data access — The combination of Arweave’s permanent data and ar.io gateways give you unrestricted access and control over the data you care about.

4) Addressability of Data — With permanent data, addressing is about the content and the metadata not locations like the existing internet, where the data has to be at the physical location.

Get involved

The push for permanent data and user sovereignty is not just ours, it’s everyone’s. We urge individuals and organizations alike to join the decentralized revolution:

• Join the Community: We are only as strong as our community, and we’d encourage you to join the conversation and reach out to our team on ArDrive (X and Discord), and ar.io (X and Discord) we’re here to support you.
• Learn about gateways: Want to read about what ar.io is doing to decentralize the permaweb? Explore the docs portal at https://ar.io/docs/
• Upload some files: ArDrive makes it easy to save something forever. Give it a try at https://app.ardrive.io/ and learn how to build with it at https://docs.ardrive.io/.