The AO team is giving away a PURE GOLD floppy disk (valued at over $10,000) as part of a campaign to onboard new node operators and decentralize the AO network.
This is a rare opportunity to help expand the network and win a one-of-a-kind collector’s prize.
How to Enter
- Spin up a HyperBEAM node on AO (existing nodes qualify)
- Submit your node’s public IP in the gold-standard-nodes channel on the HyperBEAM Discord
- Complete verification by April 4, midnight EST
The winner will be selected randomly, with publicly posted proof.
Deadline: April 4 at midnight EST
What is HyperBEAM?
HyperBeam is a client implementation of the AO-Core protocol, functioning as the node software for AO’s decentralized operating system. It abstracts hardware details, allowing programs to run seamlessly across the network.
At its core, HyperBEAM includes:
- A Compute Unit (CU), built in NodeJS, responsible for WASM execution and AO state management
- TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) support for private and verifiable computation
- A plug-and-play system of AO devices, each representing a piece of functionality within the stack
Device Maturity Levels: HyperBEAM currently ships with ~25 core devices, categorized into three tiers:
- Candidate (green): Stable and production-ready
- Preview (orange): Usable, but not yet hardened for critical workloads
- Early Access: Experimental and subject to change
Learn more about the latest HyperBEAM update.
What is AO-Core?
AO-Core is the protocol powering decentralized computation on AO. Unlike traditional blockchain VMs, it’s designed to support multiple execution models in a unified environment.
Core concepts:
- Hashpaths – Merkle-style references for verifying a program’s inputs and initial state
- Unified state representation – AO process state is stored as an HTTP-compatible document
- Attestations – Nodes can verify or challenge others’ outputs, building cryptographic and economic trust
- Meta-VM – Supports diverse computational models (WASM, AI agents, LLMs) under a single verification framework
Why run a node?
HyperBEAM is currently in a preview phase meaning nearly feature-complete, with active development and new capabilities being added weekly.
Recent updates include:
- Legacynet SU compatibility (Milestone 3)
- TEE-based nodes acting as a unified, Sybil-resistant network
- Caching for scheduler requests, allowing apps to reuse previous results and reduce latency
- Improved error handling for web apps, making debugging easier for developers
- Enhanced HTTP signature support for more flexible and secure node-to-node communication
Because AO uses a holographic state model—where all processes live permanently on Arweave, there’s no hard cutoff between testnet and mainnet. The network evolves progressively.
Running a node now means early access to AO’s architecture, hands-on experience with modular compute, and a role in supporting the transition from legacynet to mainnet.
Also: did we mention the solid gold floppy disk?
Get started
Spin up your node, verify it by April 4, and join the future of decentralized compute.
Further reading
Resources
AO