HOSN-app/thesis/content/03-related-work/akasha.tex

In early 2015, Mihai Alisie (co-founder of Ethereum) had the idea for AKASHA. AKASHA is a social network that differs from other known social networks mainly in its decentralization. The absence of a central server meant that censorship was ruled out by design. This is realized by the two technologies Ethereum and the \acf{IPFS}. Electron, React, Redux, and NodeJS complete the technology stack so that the primary programming language is JavaScript \cite{akasha2016unveiling}. In addition to Mihai Alisie, ten other employees now work at AKASHA. Furthermore, the founders of Ethereum (Vitalik Buterin) and \ac{IPFS} (Juan Benet) advise the project \cite{akasha2016advisors}.

Alisie sees AKASHA as \enquote{the missing puzzle piece that will enable us to tackle two of the most critical challenges we face today as a modern information-based society: freedom of expression and creative perpetuity}\cite{akasha2016unveiling}. The central goal is therefore to prevent censorship and to obtain information over a long period.

AKASHA offers the typical functionalities known from other social networks. These include creating a profile and connect with other profiles. Posting content and commenting on other entries. Furthermore, there is a message system and the possibility to tip other users. Instead of a central server, AKASHA uses the Ethereum testnet Rinkeby and \ac{IPFS} to store data, so AKASHA can be called a \ac{dApp}. The messaging system is implemented via Whisper. \ac{ETH} is required to execute all actions in order to write to the blockchain, but this can be easily requested in the test network.

After a proof of concept had validated the idea, the technology stack mentioned above was defined, and development began at the beginning of 2016. The first goal was to create a client based on Electron for Windows, Linux, and MacOS. In January 2017, the first functional alpha version was completed and tested with a closed circle of users. Over time, additional functions were added, bugs fixed, and performance optimized. In November 2017, a web version of AKASHA\footnote{https://beta.akasha.world/} was introduced. This was a big step towards a better user experience since the web client does not need to download the Ethereum Rinkeby blockchain which took around 30\,minutes on the first run. But, the web version only works in browsers running MetaMask and \ac{IPFS} Companion extensions. The public beta phase started in February 2018 with the primary goal to see how the application behaves under heavy load.

With the announcement of the web version, the team behind AKASHA also introduced their own AETH token. This token has the unique feature that it can take different states. By locking AETH, the user receives \textit{Mana} which regenerates every day as long as the AETH remains locked. Performing interactions, for example liking, commenting or publishing posts, consumes \textit{Mana} and \ac{ETH}, but not AETH. When \textit{Mana} is used to vote for something, the content's author receives the same amount as \textit{Essence} which can be converted into new AETH tokens. The third state is called \textit{Karma} and functions as a all time score of received \textit{Essence} even though it has been used to mint AETH. \textit{Karma} is necessary to unlock new features inside AKASHA. \cite{akasha2017horizons}

%With the announcement of the web version, the team behind AKASHA also released plans for their AETH token. This token should have the unique feature that it can take different states. The state transition from one state to the other is only possible as shown in Figure \ref{fig:akasha-aeth-transitions}. The developers describe the states as follows:

%\begin{itemize}
%	\item \textbf{AETH} is a transferable, ERC 20 compatible token, living on the Rinkeby test network
%	\item \textbf{Mana} is non-transferable and is obtained by locking AETH for X time at Y ratio (Manafied AETH). The Mana amount regenerates every day for as long as AETH remains locked, in a \enquote{Manafied} state.
%	\item \textbf{Essence} is non-transferable and is obtained through positive contributions. It can be burned to mint new AETH into existence. When people use their Mana to vote on artifacts, the authors can collect the burned Mana as Essence.
%	\item \textbf{Karma} is not a state, but rather a score tracking user contributions. For every unit of Essence collected, the user receives also Karma. Karma is used for defining milestones, thresholds and unlocking functionality within the \ac{dApp}.
%\end{itemize}

%\begin{figure}[h!]
%	\centering
%	\includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{aeth-flow}
%	\caption{AETH flow}
%	\label{fig:akasha-aeth-transitions}
%\end{figure}

After a long period of silence, the entire project was converted in January 2019, almost three years after the start. The domain changed from akasha.world to akasha.org, and the focus shifted from a social network to an umbrella organization that unites several projects. In the AKASHA blog, Alisie writes about metamorphosis and compares the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly \cite{akasha2019metamorphosis}. The alpha and beta phases are said to have corresponded to the caterpillar phase, the second half of 2018 to the chrysalis stage, and now the butterfly is supposed to unfold with all its beauty. However, it is left open how the new orientation will look like and how the social network will continue. On the website, there is a software section as well as a hardware section. But, there is no content available yet.

The public launch of the social network in version 1.0 was planned for the fourth quarter of 2018. With this launch, the change from the Rinkeby test network to the Ethereum main network should also be completed \cite{akasha2017horizons}. It is currently unknown when the public launch will take place.