Blockweave

What Is Blockweave?

With proof of access, miners must store historical blocks and be able to quickly retrieve and reference these to validate new blocks. This differs from proof of work where miners compete to solve computational puzzles.

How Does Blockweave's Architecture Interconnect Blocks?

Blockweave connects blocks in a weave-like pattern by having each new block reference the previous block and a random older block. This differs from the linear sequential chaining of blocks in a traditional blockchain. The dual references strengthen connections and create redundancy. Think of upgrading from a single dirt road to a complex network of crisscrossing streets. The interwoven structure of Blockweave allows for more integrity across the system and improved traceability and security. If a block is compromised, adjacent connections keep the overall data intact.

What Is Proof of Access? 

As Blockweave verifies blocks through proof of access, miners must store portions of historical blocks and quickly retrieve these random older blocks to validate new blocks. 

Proof of access promotes availability since miners are incentivized to store as much unique historical data as possible to maximize their chances of querying the right blocks. This avoids wasted computational work and redirects resources to useful data storage and retrieval tasks that strengthen the network.

How Does Interconnection and Proof of Access Improve Availability?

The interconnected structure and proof of access incentivize miners to store as much data as possible to maximize mining success. This availability and redundancy are vital for quick access and disaster recovery. Blockweave's interconnected architecture gives highly resilient data storage. 

If one node goes down, there are connections to source the data from other nodes. This built-in resilience contrasts sharply with traditional blockchains where compromised nodes can cripple availability.

How Do Blockshadows Enable Blockweave's Scalability? 

Blockshadows essentially decouple consensus from data propagation. Consensus only requires passing the small blockshadows, while data propagates through the optimized Wildfire protocol. This lightens the load for consensus substantially.

How Does Blockweave Achieve Cost-Efficient Storage?

Blockweave reduces costs in two key ways. First, the proof of access consensus mechanism greatly reduces the computational overhead for miners versus proof of work. Less wasted computation means lower operating costs to run nodes. 

Second, the fees to store data on Blockweave decrease over time as more blocks get added. Together, these structural advantages enable extremely low-cost permanent data storage.

How Does Blockweave Contrast Technically With Other Blockchains?

While pioneering, Blockweave still involves trade-offs like reduced decentralization for scalability. However, its technical innovations around block architecture, consensus method, and incentive design open up possibilities for large-scale decentralized data storage that legacy blockchains cannot match.