Arweave, a decentralized storage project, has officially launched the mainnet of its AO computing platform.
Dubbed a "parallel supercomputer" by its developers, the AO computing platform introduces a distributed computing environment designed for high-performance parallel processing. The launch follows a year of rigorous testing on the testnet, which saw over $700 million in pre-funding.
AO leverages Arweave’s permanent data storage capabilities to ensure data immutability and availability, enhancing the reliability of decentralized applications. The platform is expected to support a new generation of decentralized applications (dApps), particularly those involving autonomous agents coordinating artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.
With the mainnet launch on February 9, AO’s native tokens, previously distributed to AR holders and testnet participants, are now transferable. Unlike Arweave’s AR token, AO tokens operate separately, with a total supply capped at 21 million, mirroring Bitcoin’s fixed issuance model.
The token distribution follows a structured approach: 36% will be gradually allocated to AR holders based on their holdings, while the remaining 64% is designated for economic incentives. These incentives include rewards for users bridging assets like DAI and stETH into the AO ecosystem.